The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the organization in the United States that determines flood zones across the country. The flood zones they designate are based on the floodplain of the area and the likelihood of one or more floods occurring in that area every 100 years.
Some areas of the country are predicted to see one or no floods in a 100-year time span while other areas see flooding every year. FEMA has 18 different flood zone designations across the country, we will take a look at each one of them individually.
- FEMA is the organization that determines flood zones across the country and currently has 18 different flood zone designations.
- There are three overarching types of flood zones, high-risk, moderate to low-risk, and undetermined risk. The 18 designations fall under these three categories.
- Flood zone types are connoted with different letters that correspond to the level of risk and the general area of the country that they make up.
Three flood zone sections
There are three flood zone sections that the 18 designations fall into, high-risk, moderate to low-risk, and undetermined risk.
High-risk flood zones
In this section, the various designations are noted with an A or a V. A is the letter designated to inland areas and V is designated for coastal areas. The properties in this section are most at risk of flooding every year. These are called Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and are expected to have a 25% chance or more of dealing with at least one flood over the course of a 30-year mortgage. Typically, homeowners with homes in this category are required to purchase and maintain proper flood insurance over the course of the loan. Some homeowners in these areas may be able to purchase flood insurance through a private insurer, but more likely will have to go through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program in order to obtain adequate coverage.
Moderate to low-risk flood zones
A flood zone in this section is denoted with either a B, C, or X. Roughly 20% of flood claims under the NFIP occur in this section. Most of the time, homeowners that have homes in the types of flood zones that fall under this category are not required by mortgage lenders to purchase flood insurance, but it is usually recommended as floods are somewhat common.
Undetermined risk flood zones
A flood zone in this section could be at high, moderate, or low risk of flooding in a 100-year time frame, but FEMA has not conducted the analysis to determine which flood zone these areas would fall into yet. Homes in undetermined flood zone areas are usually not required to purchase flood insurance, but mortgage lenders may strongly recommend it in some cases.
What are the 18 flood zone designations?
The 18 types of flood zones designated by FEMA are determined using incredible mapping technology to determine the risk of flooding in any particular area and the map can be accessed by the general public. Insurance companies and mortgage lenders certainly use it to determine the flood risk for a particular home or business that they are insuring.
The High-Risk Flood Zones
Flood zone A
Flood zone A areas have a 1 percent chance of flooding each year and a 25 percent chance of flooding over a 30-year time frame. Any specific home may be at higher or lower risk compared to another one in the area. As mentioned above, A designated flood zones are inland areas of the country.
Flood zone AO
This flood zone is an inland area that is at risk of flooding due to a river, stream, or pond hazard. This area has a 1% chance of sustaining 1 to 3 feet of floodwater each year and a 25% percent chance of seeing 1 to 3 feet of floodwater during the course of a 30-year mortgage.
Flood zone AH
This flood zone includes areas that are at the same risk as AO and the other A designated zones, but this zone specifically looks at areas with larger bodies of water that can be a hazard.
Flood zone A1-A30
The numerous flood zones in this area correspond with the number on FEMA’s Flood map. These areas are places that are determined by their sea level as found by the National Geographic Vertical Datum.
Flood zone AE
This flood zone is replacing the numbered zones in the flood zone above and is similar to those numbered zones.
Flood zone A99
Areas that fall under this flood zone are at high risk of flooding and are protected by a mandatory flood control system under the Flood Control Act of 1936. This would include systems such as levees, dams, dikes, and other systems that control the flow of water.
Flood zone AR
This flood zone is the same as flood zone A99, but the federally controlled system is decertified or is currently being restored or rebuilt.
Flood zone AR/AO
This is a combination flood zone between AR and AO. These areas have some homes that are protected by a water control system and some are not.
Flood zone AR/A1-A30
This zone is a unique combination of the two above zones. Homes in this area could temporarily be at an increased risk of flooding due to a water control system being restored or reconstructed. There is a wide range in the risk each individual home faces depending on location compared to the water control system.
Flood zone AR/A
This is another flood zone where the water control system has been temporarily taken offline for repairs or reconstruction. These areas are at a higher risk than the above combination flood zones due to the weakened water control system.
Flood zone V
Flood zone V is the same as flood zone A, but V denotes a coastal area of the country. These flood zones tend to be at a little higher risk than zone A due to the risk of hurricanes and other storm surges.
Flood zone VE
This flood zone includes coastal areas that are at high risk for flooding, but have some sort of natural flood protection like sand dunes or something of that nature. This flood is the same as all other high-risk areas in that the area is at a 1 percent chance of flooding every year and a 25 percent chance of flooding over the course of a 30-year mortgage.
Flood zone V1-V30
These flood zones are the same as the A1-A30 zones, just on the coast and not inland. These zones are also at risk of flooding due to hurricanes and tropical storms.
Moderate to low-risk flood zones
Flood zone B
This flood zone is an area that is expected to see flooding once every 500 years. While unlikely that there will be flooding, it still may be prudent for the homeowner to look at obtaining flooding coverage.
Flood zone C
Flood zone C is the same as flood zone B, but may have some areas within it that don’t need to be mapped by FEMA due to the lower risk. They still may be at risk for flooding due to ponds or local irrigation.
Flood zone X
This flood zone has a risk of flooding that is over a longer period of time than the 500 years of the other two moderate to low-risk zones. This zone is also protected by some sort of water control system as well.
Undetermined risk flood zones
Flood zone D
This flood zone is one where the risk hasn’t been determined by FEMA yet. Typically, these places are very low in population and mostly undeveloped. Homeowners can use their discretion to purchase flood zone or not depending on their situation. Some homes in this zone may be at a higher risk than others.
Am I required to purchase flood insurance because of what flood zone I am in?
Flood insurance, just like home insurance is not legally required for anyone to purchase; however, many mortgage lenders require homeowners that live in high-risk flood zones to purchase adequate flood insurance to protect their homes. Mortgage lenders may require the homeowner to either purchase enough flood insurance to cover the mortgage loan or enough to cover the entire home.
Even for moderate to low-risk flood zone areas or undetermined flood zone areas, it may be a good idea to look into flood insurance as there can still be some risk of flooding in those areas. Each homeowner should look at their specific situation and talk with their insurance agent to determine what is right for them.
Summary
There are quite a few flood zones around the country as determined by FEMA. For homeowners who live in a high-risk flood zone not only are they at high risk for flooding, which can cause extensive damage and be a devasting occurrence for the homeowner, but mortgage lenders will require these homeowners to purchase flooding insurance to protect their investment and protect the homeowner as well. A denoted flood zones are inland areas of the country and V denoted areas are coastal areas. Flood zones B, C, and X are moderate to low-risk areas around the country, and flood zone D is an undetermined risk area. The flood zone types differ in terms of what could potentially be a flooding hazard and if the area is protected by something like a dam, levee, or other water control system. It is important for a homeowner to understand what flood zone they are in and what risk they may face while also obtaining the flooding insurance that is right for them.
