If you're living in the United States, chances are that the federal government has already calculated the flood risk level of the area where you live. The organization known as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has put over 20,000 U.S. communities into flood zone categories.
Those living in flood zones can benefit from FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Once you have determined your flood zone, you can calculate how much you may need to pay for flood insurance based on your risk level.
What Is a Flood Zone?
The FEMA defines flood zones as geographic areas that have different levels of flood risk. These zones can be found on your community's Flood Hazard Boundary Map or Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Each zone has its own chances of being flooded and its own insurance requirements.
Keep in mind that the term "Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)", which you may find on a FIRM, is most often used interchangeably with a flood zone. As per FEMA, the SFHA is an area with a 1% or 1 in 100 chance of experiencing a flood during any given year. For SFHAs, FEMA has calculated a base flood elevation (BFE), which is the elevation that floodwaters are expected to reach during a flood.
If your area is categorized as a SFHA, there's a good possibility that you will experience some flooding this year. Other terms for the type of flood that SFHAs experience are “1 percent annual chance flood”, "100-year flood" or base flood. Make sure not to confuse a 100-year flood as a flood that occurs once every 100 years. Rather, it means a flood that has a 1 in 100 chance of occurring.
Just like SFHA, the FIRM also depicts moderate flood hazard areas. As you may have guessed, they have a lower flood risk than a SFHA. They usually have a 1 in 500 chance of flooding occurring in a given year. This is why the floods that hit moderate flood hazard areas are also called a 500-year flood or 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood.
Besides the special and moderate flood zones, there are also minimal flood hazard areas. They have the least flood risk and have less than a 1 in 500 chance of occurring in any given year.
What Are the Types of Flood Zones?
On the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, you may find flood zones being broadly categorized into areas of:
- High-risk
- Moderate-to-low risk
- Undetermined risk
To assign different levels of flood risks, FEMA has assigned varying letters and numbers to different types of zones.
For example, as per the FEMA flood maps, the most hazardous flood zones begin either with the letter V or A. As per the National Flood Insurance Program, any structure present in the V and A zones are considered to be in the Special Flood Hazard Areas.
V Zones. FEMA defines V zones as the most hazardous of the SFHA. If you live in a coastal area and have a front-row beachfront property, there's a good chance that your house is in a V zone. The danger in these areas is due to the high wave velocity - hence these areas are designated with the letter V. In the FIRM, the areas within this zone are further labeled as Zone V, Zone VE, and Zones V1-V30 depending on their base flood elevations.
A Zones. FEMA defines A zones as the most volatile of the SFHA. This is because such areas are mostly near large bodies of water like rivers, streams or lakes, so they constantly face the threat of rising waters. Within the A zone FIRM maps, you'll also find areas labeled as Zones A1-A30, Zone AO, Zone AE, Zone AH, Zone AR, Zone AR/AE, Zone A99, Zone AR/A1-A30, Zone AR/AO and Zone AR/A. While all these zones have the same flood risk rates, their source of floodwaters might differ.
You'll find areas with moderate-to-low flood risk designated with the letters B, C, and X on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
B and X (shaded) Zones. These are the areas of moderate flood risk. These areas may have a less chance of being flooded as compared to SFHA because of being protected by levees or having shallow flooding areas.
C and X (unshaded zones). These areas have a minimal flood risk. Usually, Zone C areas get flooded due to local drainage or ponding issues. Due to this, they are not considered base floodplains.
D Zones. While floods are possible in these areas, their sources are usually hard to determine. This is because these areas are not studied by FEMA.
How to Find My Flood Zone?
While learning about the different types of flood zones, you may be wondering, "what is my flood zone?". The answer to this question is important, as it will not only prepare you for your specific flood hazards but also give you an idea of your insurance requirements.
Keep in mind that everyone lives in a flood zone. The point is whether your area has a high, moderate or low flood risk. You can find information about your flood zone in your community's flood map. One way to find your flood map is by visiting a Flood Map Service Center and looking for the address of your property.
You can also find the flood risk of your area by visiting floodsmart.gov. Another option is going to your city or town hall. There, you can find employees whose job involves issuing your area's building permits. Such employees may have updated flood zone maps. In case you plan to buy a property, your insurance agent and realtor may be able to provide you with all the necessary information. You could also visit online https://msc.fema.gov and check out their FEMA Map Service Center.
What Could Be Your Insurance Requirements Based on Your Flood Zone?
You may have different insurance requirements and costs based on your flood zone. This is what you should consider if you live or plan to build a property in:
V and A Zones. Flood insurance is compulsory in all these areas due to their high risk of flooding. In such high-risk zones, flood insurance is a necessary condition for getting a loan for a federally-backed mortgage.
X Zones. Since these areas have minimal flood risk, flood insurance is not necessary here.
D Zones. For these areas, you could face varying flood insurance rates as the flood risk in these zones is uncertain.