FEMA Flood Map Information

Some buildings, for the first time, may be included in the high-risk area, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

If, based on the new maps, the building is in the SFHA (flood zones beginning with “A”, “AE”, “V,” or “VE”) and is mortgaged through a federally regulated and insured lender, the property owner will be required to carry flood insurance after the new maps go into effect.

Some buildings will be shown in the new maps as being in a different high-risk zone (e.g., from Zone AE to Zone VE) or may have their Base Flood Elevation (BFE) increase or decrease.

Premiums are generally higher in areas that are at greater risk of flooding than in those at moderate or minimal risk of flooding. Therefore, changes in the BFE will affect flood insurance rates.

However, some buildings may be removed from the mapped SFHA.

If the building is currently mapped in an SFHA, but on the new FIRM it is mapped into a moderate-to-low-risk flood area, flood insurance is no longer federally required.

However, the mortgage holder/lender may still require flood insurance.

Homeowners and renters, at their discretion, may maintain flood insurance at the lower rates offered for buildings outside the SFHA.

Flood insurance rates are determined by the current effective FIRMs. If, according to the new preliminary maps, your property is located in an SFHA and is mortgaged through a federally regulated and insured lender, you will be required to purchase flood insurance once the preliminary map becomes effective. There is time—the updated maps are not scheduled to go effective until 2021 or 2022. However, flooding can happen wherever it rains, which means purchasing flood insurance is a good idea even for property owners in low-risk areas.

You can formally appeal information that is presented in the new maps. You can also learn more about the process on the FEMA website.