Flood Zones
What are flood hazard Zones and what do they mean?
The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is used in Regular Program communities by lenders to determine the flood insurance requirements and by insurance agents to help determine flood insurance rates for specific properties. The map includes areas within 100-year flood boundary, which are termed “Special Flood Hazard Areas” (SFHAs). A “100 year flood” does not refer to a flood that occurs once every 100 years, but refers to a flood level with a 1% or greater chance of being equaled or exceeded in ay given year.

Special Flood Hazard Areas:

Zone A	Areas of high risk where the Base Flood Elevations are not provided.
Zone A1-A30	Areas of high risk where the Base Flood Elevations are provided.
Zone AE	Areas of high risk where the Base Flood Elevations are provided
Zone AH	Shallow water depths (ponding) and/or unpredictable flow paths between one and three feet. Base Flood Elevations are provided.
Zone AO	Shallow water paths (sheet flow) and/or unpredictable flow paths between one and three feet occur. Base Flood Elevations not provided.
Zone A99	Where enough progress has been made on a protective system such as dikes, dams and levees, to consider it complete for insurance rating purposes. No Base Flood Elevations are provided.
Zone AR	High risk 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.
Zone V	An area which is inundated by tidal floods with velocity (coastal high risk)
Zone V1-V30	An area which is inundated by tidal floods with velocity (coastal high risk)
Zone VE	Identical to V zone, but Base Flood Elevations are provided.

NOTE: If property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, it is a requirement that flood insurance be purchased if there is a Federally backed loan.

Non-Special Flood Hazard Areas:

Zone B, C, X	Areas of moderate or minimal hazard subject to flooding from severe storm activity or local drainage problem.
Zone D	An area where the flood hazard is undetermined and is usually very sparsely populated.

NOTE: Flood insurance is not required in a Non-Special Flood Hazard Area, however, 30% of all floods occur in these zones.