#FEMA FLOOD ZONE DESIGNATIONS HOW TO#
#FEMA FLOOD ZONE DESIGNATIONS UPDATE#

The SFHA standard constitutes a reasonable compromise between the need for building restrictions to minimize potential loss of life and property and the economic benefits to be derived from development in these areas. About 25 percent of insurance claims paid under the NFIP are in areas outside the high-risk SFHAs, where consumers may voluntarily purchase flood insurance. Regulated lending institutions must determine whether a borrower’s building is located in an SFHA and require the purchase of flood insurance if it is.

In fact, this flood has a 26-percent chance of occurring during a 30-year period…the length of many mortgages. This type of flood commonly is often referred to as the “100-year flood” or as the “base flood.” This flood is not a flood that occurs every 100 years. One of these areas is the Special Flood Hazard Area, or SFHA, a high-risk area defined as any land that would be inundated by a flood that has a 1-percent chance of occurring during any given year. Several areas of flood hazard hazard are shown on Flood Maps. The mapping partners involved include State agency, regional agency, and local community and Indian Tribal entity partners participating in the FEMA Cooperating Technical Partners, or CTP, Program. Using the information gathered in these studies, FEMA contractors and mapping partners present flood hazard and risk information on the Flood Maps and accompanying FIS reports. The FISs are more commonly referred to simply as studies or mapping projects.

#FEMA FLOOD ZONE DESIGNATIONS UPDATE#

To prepare or update the Flood Maps that graphically illustrate the flood hazards and related risks in a floodprone community, FEMA generally has conducted engineering studies referred to as Flood Insurance Studies, or FISs.

#FEMA FLOOD ZONE DESIGNATIONS HOW TO#

Maps may also be viewed online at FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer.ĭownload How to View the Floodplain Maps Using the NFHL and How to View the Floodplain Maps Using the Map Service Center for help using these websites. Use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk. The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Low Risk areas do not mean that a property is safe from flooding! Moderate to low risk flood zones account for more than 20 percent of National Flood Insurance Program claims. The areas of low risk or minimal flood hazard are labeled Zone C or Zone X (unshaded). Moderate to low risk flood zones account for more than 20 percent of National Flood Insurance Program claims. A property at moderate risk has nearly a 6% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage. These zones include the areas outside the SFHA, but within the 500-year flood event. Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone B or Zone X (shaded) are also shown on the FIRM. These floodplain areas are also subject to specific regulations which provide guidance to minimize potential flood risk. If a property is located in the SFHA, flood insurance will be required for federally backed mortgages.

A property in a SFHA has a 26 percent chance of experiencing a flood during the lifetime of a 30–year mortgage. SFHAs are labeled as Zones A, AE, AH, AO, or AR.

High risk areas are identified as a Special Flood Hazard Area on FEMA maps. These maps are used to set minimum building requirements and to determine flood insurance requirements and rates. FEMA floodplain maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), show areas of high and moderate to low flood risk.

Fema flood zone designations