BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The National Weather Service has issued a new forecast map for hurricane season in Brevard County.

Instead of issuing storm warnings for two zones (north and south), Brevard County is now broken up into six zones, allowing for more accurate reports to smaller areas.

What You Need To Know

  •  The new map shows updated zones in Brevard County for hurricane season

  • Officials believe it will help residents get more accurate information to keep them safe

  • It will allow for more accurate weather information for the various mainlands and coastlines in the area

Brevard Emergency Management Director John Scott said the new map will help residents get more precise information to keep them safe, emphasizing that conditions can be very different on barrier islands, the coast, and the mainland.

“If you are living in Palm Bay, you will no longer get a storm surge warning,” Scott said. “You’ll still get your tropical storm, your hurricane warning, but you won’t get that storm surge warning because you don’t have that threat.”

Brevard County is 72 miles long, with three rivers and an ocean.

“They’re going to allow them to make better decisions for their safety, and understand the risk they face,” Scott said.

A decision and system resident Paul Bodnaryk is glad they put in place. Bodnaryk bought his home two years ago, equipped with hurricane shutters. Thankfully, he hasn’t had to use them yet, but with the new zones, he’ll be better prepared to know if, and when, they might come in handy.

“It sounds like a good system. Alert people that are affected and not everybody else,” he said. “Nobody wants to get caught off guard.”