Zones designated “C” or left unshaded on the map are areas with minimal flood danger. Even a couple inches of flooding is enough to cause serious damage to your house that would require expensive mold and water mitigation. There’s less than a 1% chance but more than a 0.02% chance of a flood annually.ī flood zones can also designate floodplains created by smaller hazards like an area protected by levees from 100-year floods or areas that might get shallow flooding that’s less than a foot deep.Įven though B flood zones don’t typically encounter huge floods, it’s still a good idea to be cautious. These zones fall somewhere between 100-year and 500-year floods. Zones designated “B” or shaded on the map are areas of moderate risk. There are two types of low to moderate risk flood zones: And since people feel safer in these areas, many don’t even get flood insurance, which typically costs them a pretty penny down the road when they have to pay for water mitigation and recovery services out of pocket. It just means it’s less common.Īlmost one-third of all flood insurance claims are filed by homeowners who live in these “low-risk” regions. Zones designated as moderate to low risk are, obviously, the least prone to floods, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to worry about flooding at all if you live in these areas. Here are various types of flood zones and what they mean. These variations designate the different types of flood zones-and there are a lot of them!Įach one provides specific information about the flood zone and the type of flooding that may occur. When you look at a flood hazard boundary map, you might notice there are a bunch of different colors, lines, and shadings. Now that you know the terminology, let’s dive into the different types of flood zones and what they mean to you. Base flood elevation (BFE): The elevation water is estimated to rise during the initial flood, usually measured in feet.

Like the 100-year flood, it’s just easier to say “500-year flood” instead of “point zero two percent.” 500-year flood: There’s a 0.02% chance of a flood annually.Since 1% is one out of 100, most people just call it 100-year floods. 100-year flood: There’s a 1% chance of a flood every year.Since flood zones-and flooding in general-can be quite technical, there are a few terms you should know to help you read flood zone maps: Homeowners can also use the flood maps to make important buying, building, and insurance decisions. Local governments use the data to determine zoning, while insurance agencies adjust insurance rates and coverages based on the flood zones. For example, a higher-risk area will be shaded on the map, while lower-risk areas might just have a letter marker without shading.įlood zones and flood hazard boundary maps are used by local governments, insurance agencies, and homeowners to determine the risk of flood in specific areas. They come in different designations depending on the level of risk. If you’re not sure if you live in a flood zone, you can look up your address on the FEMA website.Ī flood zone is an area or region designated on a flood hazard boundary map. If you’re one of them-and maybe even if you’re not-here’s what you need to know about flood zones. According to the maps, 41 million Americans live in a flood zone. Since floods are such a prevalent problem, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created a map of different flood zones to determine the risk of flooding across the entire country. Floods cost homeowners $2.4 billion every year! Even an inch of water is enough to cause serious damage to your home without proper water mitigation cleanup. In fact, floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States, beating out hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Floods wreak havoc all over the United States-especially in low, rainy areas like Central Florida. That little creek in your back yard might be pretty to look at, but it could mean big trouble after a heavy rainstorm.

What does fema flood zone x mean