Zone AE: Detailed studies have been performed to determine BFEs.

Zone A: Approximate methods have determined this to be a high-risk zone, but no detailed analysis has determined the BFE or flood depth.

Flood insurance is mandatory in these zones. These areas have a 1% annual chance of flooding and a 26% of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Get ready to use some of the terminology described above.

Here’s a quick rundown of the different types of flood zones you’ll find on a FIRM. FEMA refines its estimates and flood zone designations periodically when new data becomes available, meaning that your client’s flood zone may change over time. Remember that these are probabilities, not certainties. That can be misleading, because you could have two 100-year-floods in back-to-back years. Another way to look at it is that flood waters are likely to rise to a certain elevation once every 100 years. The idea is that in any given year there is a 1% chance of flood waters reaching a specific level, known as the base flood elevation, or BFE. You’ll see this phrase used when describing flood zones, and it can be a bit confusing. Combine the results of that study with other information including historical flood records, weather patterns, local preventative measures such as dams and levees, and you can begin to estimate how likely an area is to flood.

Engineers will run tests to determine how water will runoff a piece of land, and how quickly a nearby river or stream will carry that water away. There’s a lot that goes into determining whether an area is likely to flood. But if you’ve misplaced your secret decoder ring to decipher their flood zone designation, read on. In order to determine which zone applies to your client’s home, you can enter their address and view their flood insurance rate map – also known as a FIRM – through the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. There are letters galore to describe the different flood zones. If you are working with your client to understand their property’s flood risk, you may feel like you’ve been served a big bowl of alphabet soup. What is the difference between flood zone A and AE? Understanding the Different Types of Flood Zones

Flood plain zone x