What flood zone am I in?
Type a US street address to see its FEMA flood zone, what the zone means, and whether a lender will require flood insurance.
Flood zones explained
| Zone | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99 | Special flood hazard area: at least a 1% chance of flooding each year. Flood insurance is required for federally backed mortgages. | |
| V, VE | Coastal high-hazard area with storm waves of 3 feet or more. Strictest building rules and highest premiums. | |
| X (shaded), B | 0.2% annual chance of flooding, or areas protected by levees. Insurance is optional. | |
| X (unshaded), C | Outside the 500-year flood plain. Insurance is optional and usually cheap, but floods still happen here. | |
| D | Possible but undetermined flood risk; FEMA has not studied the area. |
FEMA's maps show the chance of flooding from rivers and the sea based on past studies. They do not show every risk: heavy rain can flood streets and basements anywhere, and many maps are years old. Since 2021 the National Flood Insurance Program prices each home on its own features under Risk Rating 2.0, so the zone no longer sets your premium by itself, but it still decides whether a lender requires a policy. Read more in flood zones explained and the 30-day waiting period.
Common questions
How do I find out what flood zone I am in?
Type your street address in the lookup above. It finds the point on FEMA's flood hazard map and shows the zone there. For an official answer, for example for a mortgage, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask your lender for a flood zone determination.
What does flood zone AE mean?
Zone AE is a high-risk area where FEMA has calculated a base flood elevation. It has at least a 1% chance of flooding each year, or about a 26% chance over a 30-year mortgage. Lenders require flood insurance for federally backed mortgages here.
What does flood zone X mean?
Zone X is moderate to minimal risk. Shaded X areas have a 0.2% annual chance of flooding (the 500-year flood plain); unshaded X is outside it. Flood insurance is not required, but about a quarter to a third of federal flood claims come from outside high-risk zones.
Do I need flood insurance if I am not in a flood zone?
It is not required, but it can still make sense. Home insurance does not cover floods, and policies outside high-risk zones are usually much cheaper. New federal policies take 30 days to start, so buy before you need it.
Is this lookup official?
No. It reads FEMA flood hazard data through a public map service, and address matching can miss by a lot or two. Use it as a first check, then confirm on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.