What Are Flood Zones?
Flood zones determine the premium for flood insurance rates and set construction standards for parcels located in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), commonly called the FEMA floodplain.
The SFHA is an area that could be inundated by a flood event, with a 1 percent chance of reaching or exceeding the Base Flood Elevations (BFE) in any given year. This is also called the 100-year flood.
Flood zones in the Special Flood Hazard Area begin with V or A. Most mortgage lenders require flood insurance in these zones. Insurance rates are calculated using the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).
Find My Flood Zone
Here is an easy tool to quickly find your Flood Insurance information. Click Find My Flood Zone. When the map opens, click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner and enter your address. The map will zoom to the location and a dialog box will open with your property information. You can also open the Flood Report and the Property Report.
Flood Zone Explanations
Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) - The land area that could be covered by the floodwaters of the base flood is where the NFIP's floodplain management regulations must be enforced and where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies for federally backed mortgages.
Zone | Explanation
|
| A | Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event generally determined using approximate methodologies. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or flood depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. (In unincorporated Lee County, the county has estimated BFEs in these areas.) |
AE, A1-30 | Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual chance-flood event determined by detailed methods. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. |
| AH | Areas subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding (usually areas of ponding) where average depths are between one and three feet. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown in this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. |
| AO | Areas subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain) where average depths are between one and three feet. Average flood depths derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown in this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Some Zone AO areas have been designated in areas with high flood velocities such as alluvial fans and washes. Communities are encouraged to adopt more restrictive requirements for these areas. |
| AR | Areas that result from the decertification of a previously accredited flood protection system that is determined to be in the process of being restored to provide base flood protection. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. |
| A99 | Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, but which will ultimately be protected upon completion of an under-construction Federal flood protection system. These are areas of special flood hazard where enough progress has been made on the construction of a protection system, such as dikes, dams, and levees, to consider it complete for insurance rating purposes. Zone A99 may only be used when the flood protection system has reached specified statutory progress toward completion. No Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. |
| V | Areas along coasts subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or flood depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. |
VE,
V1-30 | Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards due to storm-induced velocity wave action. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. |
Zones outside the SFHA (floodplain) - Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone B or Zone X (shaded) are also shown on the FIRM but are not considered part of the Special Flood Hazard Area.
Zone | Explanation |
X
(shaded),
B | An area of moderate flood hazard that is determined to be outside the Special Flood Hazard Area between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. |
X
(unshaded), C | An area of minimal flood hazard that is determined to be outside the Special Flood Hazard Area and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or
500-year) flood. |