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Hurricane preparation - evacuation and contraflow routes

Preparing for a hurricane

  • Keep a survival kit in your home.
  • Know your evacuation route.
  • Have emergency information accessible, like important phone numbers and documents.
  • If elderly or disabled, call 2-1-1.

Evacuation routes

Hurricane evacuation lane reversal routes - contraflow

In the event of a hurricane evacuation from low-lying coastal areas, existing highway lanes, both freeway and non-freeway, may be converted into "contraflow lanes."

What is contraflow?

Contraflow is when vehicles travel in the opposite direction of a lane's normal traffic flow.

This occurs during an event like a hurricane evacuation, when all traffic lanes move toward inland safety and away from the Gulf Coast.

A hurricane evacuation lane is an extra wide shoulder that is converted into an active thru lane in order to increase capacity during an emergency.

How to use contraflow lanes

The videos below offer instructions on how to use contraflow lanes and are available in English or Spanish.
Title Low High
Contraflow crossover low high
Contraflow crossover (Español) low high
Inland terminus low high
Inland terminus (Español) low high
Special contraflow ramp low high
Special contraflow ramp (Español) low high
Non-freeway contraflow low  
Non-freeway contraflow (Español) low high