Flood Zones: Know Your Risk Level

4/15/2021 (Permalink)

Are you located in a high-risk flood zone? Each flood zone describes the flood risk for a particular area, which is used to determine insurance requirements and costs.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Understanding your home’s exposure to flooding can help you decide whether or not to purchase flood insurance. 

In moderate to low- risk areas, the risk of flooding is reduced, but not completely removed. In fact, a third of all flood-related claims come from moderate to low-risk areas. However, property owners in these areas are typically eligible for lower-cost flood insurance, known as Preferred Risk Policies (PRPs).

If you own a property in a high-risk zone and have a federally backed mortgage, you are required to purchase flood insurance as a condition of that loan.

If you’re unsure of your risk level, FEMA’s flood map search tool can help you:

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search