How do I find my evacuation zone and get emergency alerts in San Diego County?
Look up your address at protect.genasys.com (or in the free Genasys Protect app), note your zone ID, which looks like SDC-0790, and follow it, then register your cell phone and email at AlertSanDiego.org, because only landlines are in the county's alert system automatically. An Evacuation Warning means get ready and leave early if you need extra time or have pets; an Evacuation Order means leave now.
- Find your zone
- protect.genasys.com
- Register your cell
- AlertSanDiego.org
- No internet?
- Call 2-1-1
- Kit minimum
- 72 hours
Or the Genasys Protect app; follow home, work and school zones
Confirmation text comes from 98266
Or (800) 227-0997; County OES (858) 565-3490
Plus 2 weeks of medications, per County OES
The short version
- AlertSanDiego calls listed and unlisted landlines automatically, but cell phones, VoIP and email get alerts only if you register
- San Diego County agencies moved to Genasys Protect evacuation zones in 2024; zone IDs look like SDC-0790
- Under California's standard terms, an Evacuation Order means an immediate threat to life and the area is closed to the public
- The county asks every household to have supplies for at least 72 hours and a two-week supply of prescriptions
- Wireless Emergency Alerts need no sign-up and carry up to 360 characters on most phones
Your evacuation zone is a short code tied to your address, and in San Diego County you find it on Genasys Protect. County police, fire and emergency agencies adopted the Genasys system in 2024, so evacuation orders now name zones like SDC-0790 instead of describing whole neighborhoods. Knowing your code ahead of time means you can tell in seconds whether an alert is about you. We checked the County Office of Emergency Services (OES) pages, Cal OES and city fire department pages on November 3, 2026. Fall is Santa Ana season, so this is a good week to do it.
How do I find my San Diego evacuation zone?
Set up alerts in about 10 minutes
- 01
Search your address on Genasys Protect
Go to protect.genasys.com, or download the free Genasys Protect app, and type your home address. The map shows your zone and its ID. CSUSM's main campus, for example, is zone SDC-0790. Write yours on the fridge and in your phone.
- 02
Follow every zone you spend time in
The app lets you subscribe to several zones: home, work, a child's school, a parent's house. You get a push notification when any of them changes status.
- 03
Register your cell at AlertSanDiego.org
The county system already has landlines, listed and unlisted, from 9-1-1 phone lists. Cell phones, internet (VoIP) phones and email are included only if you sign up. You can add up to three phone numbers and four email addresses, and you cannot use a PO box as your address.
- 04
Confirm the text
AlertSanDiego sends a one-time confirmation text from 98266. If the form won't work for you, call 2-1-1 (or 800-227-0997) or County OES at (858) 565-3490 and they will help you register.
- 05
Get the Alert San Diego app
The county's app (formerly called SD Emergency) shows a live map with evacuation zones, shelters and road closures, on iOS and Android.
Wireless Emergency Alerts need no sign-up; AlertSanDiego calls, texts and emails do.
What is the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order?
A warning means get ready and leave early if you are slow to move; an order means go now. California uses standard statewide terms, so the words mean the same thing in San Diego, Riverside or Orange County. Here is how Cal OES defines each one.
Evacuation Warning vs. Evacuation Order
| Evacuation Warning | Evacuation Order | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | A potential threat to life or property | An immediate threat to life; official direction to leave now |
| Who should go | People who need extra time, and anyone with pets or livestock, should leave now | Everyone in the zone |
| Can you go back in? | Yes, the area stays open | No, the area is closed to public access |
| What comes next | Can be upgraded to an order if conditions worsen | Ends only when officials announce Evacuation Order Lifted |
Evacuation Warning
- What it means
- A potential threat to life or property
- Who should go
- People who need extra time, and anyone with pets or livestock, should leave now
- Can you go back in?
- Yes, the area stays open
- What comes next
- Can be upgraded to an order if conditions worsen
Evacuation Order
- What it means
- An immediate threat to life; official direction to leave now
- Who should go
- Everyone in the zone
- Can you go back in?
- No, the area is closed to public access
- What comes next
- Ends only when officials announce Evacuation Order Lifted
Other alert terms you may see
| Term | What to do |
|---|---|
| Shelter in Place | Go indoors, shut and lock doors and windows, and be ready to be self-sufficient until officials give direction |
| Evacuation Order(s) Lifted | The evacuation is over for that area; check road closures before driving back |
| Hard Closure | Only fire and law enforcement may enter |
| Soft Closure | Fire, police and repair crews such as utilities and Caltrans may enter |
| Resident Only Closure | Residents may return, along with response agencies |
| Temporary Evacuation Point | A meeting spot named in the alert; during the June 18, 2026 Mission Fire in Fallbrook it was the Pala Park & Ride on S. Old Highway 395 |
Shelter in Place
Go indoors, shut and lock doors and windows, and be ready to be self-sufficient until officials give direction
Evacuation Order(s) Lifted
The evacuation is over for that area; check road closures before driving back
Hard Closure
Only fire and law enforcement may enter
Soft Closure
Fire, police and repair crews such as utilities and Caltrans may enter
Resident Only Closure
Residents may return, along with response agencies
Temporary Evacuation Point
A meeting spot named in the alert; during the June 18, 2026 Mission Fire in Fallbrook it was the Pala Park & Ride on S. Old Highway 395
Source: Cal OES (CalAlerts.org) and AlertSanDiego incident page, checked Nov 3, 2026
What should I pack for an evacuation in San Diego?
County OES asks every household to keep supplies for at least 72 hours for people and pets, plus a two-week supply of prescriptions. It suggests one full kit at home and smaller kits for the car and work. For the actual list, the county links to the federal Ready.gov checklist, which says to plan on one gallon of water per person per day.
- Water (1 gallon per person per day) and non-perishable food for several days
- Prescription and everyday medicines, kept together
- Copies of IDs, insurance policies and bank records, saved digitally or in a waterproof bag
- Phone chargers and a backup battery, a flashlight and spare batteries
- A battery or hand-crank radio, a first aid kit and some cash
- Pet food, water, leashes or carriers
County OES suggests a full kit at home and smaller kits for the car and work.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 3, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryAlertSanDiego registration
County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services · Checked November 3, 2026
Landlines automatic, cells/email by sign-up; 98266 confirmation; 2-1-1 and OES phone help; WEA 360 characters
- PrimaryAlert San Diego app
County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services · Checked November 3, 2026
App formerly SD Emergency; live map with evacuation zones, shelters, road closures
- PrimaryBuild a Kit
County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services · Checked November 3, 2026
72-hour minimum, two-week medication supply, three kits
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalAlerts.org) · Checked November 3, 2026
Definitions of order, warning, shelter in place, lifted, closures
- PrimaryGenasys Protect
City of Chula Vista Fire Department · Checked November 3, 2026
County agencies invested in Genasys in 2024; subscribe to zones you visit
- BackgroundGenasys Evacuation Zones
California State University San Marcos Emergency Management · Checked November 3, 2026
Example zone IDs SDC-0790, SDC-0791; search at protect.genasys.com
- PrimaryMission Fire incident page
AlertSanDiego · June 18, 2026
Warning, order and shelter in place issued; Pala Park & Ride temporary evacuation point
- BackgroundBuild a Kit
Ready.gov (FEMA) · Checked November 3, 2026
One gallon of water per person per day; kit list
KPBS · May 29, 2024
Zones let officials lift orders street by street