National Association of Real Estate Editors member
Bylines include Forbes, Bankrate, and CBS News
Aly is a reporter specializing in real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. You can find her work in Hearst newspapers and numerous financial publications.
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
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Flooding can happen anywhere, and some regions are more at risk than others. You can look up your home’s flood zone to learn how likely a flood is in your area.
Homes in high-risk flood zones often need a separate flood insurance policy, which can affect what you’ll pay for insurance. Here’s how to determine what flood zone you’re in and what it could mean for your budget.[1]
How to know if you’re in a flood zone
Visit the map tool from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and enter your property’s address to see if your home is in a flood zone.
Here are the different flood zones that FEMA has established and what each means:
C and unshaded X: Flood zones C and X are considered areas with a low risk of flooding, though FEMA says they’re “not entirely without risk.”
B and shaded X: Areas in flood zones B and X (the shaded parts) are at moderate risk of flooding. They may experience only shallow flooding — with less than one foot of water — or they may have flood mitigation features, like levees, for example.
D: Areas in D flood zones may be at risk of flooding, but FEMA hasn’t done an official flood hazard analysis. “The flood risk in these areas is undetermined,” the agency states.
A, V, and VE: These zones are at high risk for flooding. Areas in A zones are at risk due to a nearby pond, stream, river, or protective barrier under construction. Flood insurance is mandatory in these regions. Zones V and VE are high-risk coastal areas, where storm waves (storm surge) pose an additional hazard.
See FEMA’s guide to learn more about its map tool and how to read it.[2]
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How does a flood zone affect insurance rates?
Your home’s flood zone can affect what you’ll pay for insurance. Flood zones directly correlate to the property’s risk of flood damage — and how likely you’ll need to file a flood-related claim. Your home’s elevation also plays a role in determining flood insurance rates.[3]
FEMA uses flood zones to determine special flood hazard areas and draw up flood insurance rate maps, which directly affect National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) rates. FEMA data estimates the average cost of an NFIP at around $1,808. But the bulk of policies — about 40% — average less than $700 per year.
Important Information
Standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover damage from flooding. If you live in a flood zone, you’ll need to buy a separate flood insurance policy.
Flood risk levels explained
Every home has some flood risk. But the risks associated with each flood zone vary. FEMA flood maps assign flood risk into three categories:
Low risk: Low-risk flood zones have some risk of flooding. FEMA says that about 25% of all flood insurance claims stem from properties in low- and moderate-risk regions. Low-risk flood zones include Zone C and Zone X (the unshaded parts).
Moderate risk: In a moderate-risk flood area, “the risk of being flooded is reduced but not completely removed,” FEMA explains. Again, flood insurance claims are common in these areas, despite their lower risk for flooding events. Moderate-risk zones include zones B and X (the shaded parts).
High risk: High-risk flood zones have the highest risk of flooding. High-risk zones include zones V, VE, AE, AH, AO, AR, and A99. If you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender will require flood insurance for properties in these areas.
FEMA hasn’t analyzed all areas of the U.S., so some homes aren’t yet categorized. These regions are labeled as “Zone D.”
Do you need flood insurance?
If you have a federally backed mortgage on a home located in zones AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, and VE your lender will require you to have flood insurance, as FEMA has deemed them at high risk of flooding. These zones include coastal areas and areas close to potential flood sources, like ponds, streams, or rivers.
Mortgage lenders might require you to have flood insurance if you’re in other flood zones, too. Be sure to ask your lender before closing on your loan, as this could affect your budget.
Good to Know
If you live near a coast or body of water or hurricanes or tropical storms are common in your area, securing flood insurance can be smart. And if not — or your home is far inland — you might still want flood insurance as floods can happen anywhere.
How to secure flood insurance
The NFIP offers flood insurance policies in more than 22,000 communities across the U.S. and sets rates using a modernized rating methodology. The federal government and FEMA manage NFIP plans, but private insurance companies offer them.
Homeowners can use FEMA’s flood insurance provider lookup tool to find a local NFIP agent and get a plan. Keep in mind that plans don’t go into effect immediately and require a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.[4]
If your community doesn’t participate in NFIP, you can purchase a private flood insurance policy from the insurance agent or company of your choice.
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How to protect your home in a high-risk flood zone
If you live in a high-risk flood area, getting flood insurance is one of the best ways to protect yourself, your home, and your wallet.
You can also pursue these additional methods of flood protection:[5]
Elevate your utilities. Get things like AC units, water heaters, electrical systems, and furnaces off the ground and raise them to at least one foot above your home’s base flood elevation, or BFP, which you can find on your flood zone map.
Point water away from the house. Make sure your yard directs water away from your home, and keep gutters clear and free of debris.
Replace carpet with tile. A flood can easily damage carpeting, so swap yours for more flood-resistant options like tile or vinyl.
Add flood vents. Install flood vents in your foundation, basement, and other areas to help water drain out easier should it flood, minimizing damage.
Store your valuables carefully. Put high-value items in a waterproof safe or container well above the base flood line. You can also store them off site or at a storage facility.
Elevating your entire home is also an option if your area is more likely to flood. But raising a foundation is often an expensive undertaking.
Flood zone FAQs
Flood zones can be a confusing topic. Use the additional information below to learn more.
How do I check if my home is in a flood zone?
Every home falls into a flood zone that indicates its chances of a flooding event. You can see what flood zone you’re in by entering your address into the FEMA flood zone map tool.
What are the different types of flood zones?
FEMA breaks flood zones into several risk categories: low-risk, moderate-risk, high-risk, and unknown-risk.
V, VE, AE, AH, AO, AR, and A99 are at high risk of flooding; B and shaded X zones are at moderate risk; and C and unshaded X are at low risk. FEMA hasn’t yet analyzed areas in flood zone D.
Can I appeal my home’s flood zone assessment?
Yes. If you think the flood zone designation is wrong on your property, you can submit a Letter of Map Change request to FEMA. You can do this online or via mail.
Aly J. Yale is a freelance writer and reporter covering real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. Her work has been published in Forbes, Business Insider, Money, CBS News, US News & World Report, and The Miami Herald. She has a bachelor’s degree in radio-TV-film and news-editorial journalism from the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU and is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
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