Is Your Property In A Flood Zone? Find Out In 2 Minutes Or Less!

0:00 - Why do flood zones matter?
2:00 - Flood Zone Example
3:04 - FEMA Website Flood Maps
4:48 - Understanding FEMA flood zone designations
5:36 - FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer
6:43 - Understanding how old each flood map is
8:03 - Obie Risk National Flood Map Viewer
8:50 - Assessing the risk of wildfires, earthquakes, or high winds
9:29 - Getting an actual insurance quote

For most of us, the risk of losing everything in a flood is NOT something we lie awake in bed worrying about every night.

Flooding disasters are usually a highly infrequent, once-in-a-lifetime event that happens to other people. They make for a compelling story on the nightly news, "But that kind of thing would NEVER happen to me." (or so we tell ourselves).

Like most natural disasters, flooding can wipe out everything you own in a matter of seconds... so if there is ANY elevated level of risk in your area, is it really work rolling the dice on this?

Flooding may or may not end up hitting you where you live - but regardless of how concerned you are about it, there are at least a few solid reasons why you should go through the motions of verifying whether your property is situated in (or anywhere near) a flood zone. This condition has a very real effect on some properties, even when it doesn't flood.

When a property is located in a confirmed flood zone, this recognized risk can create an automatic, ongoing cost for whoever owns the property.

The reality is that most properties cannot be purchased without outside financing, usually from a bank or credit union. When these lenders identify that a property is located within a flood zone, they will require the owner to purchase flood insurance on the property in almost all cases.

In some cases, this isn't a significant issue - but depending on the type of flood zone your property is located in (if at all) - this added risk could cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars per year in additional insurance that wouldn't even be necessary were your property not located in a flood zone. You can think of it as a second property tax bill you get to pay yearly - does that sound like fun?

Flood Insurance can get expensive, REALLY expensive. If this is something that you (or any future owner of the property) will have to deal with on an ongoing basis, you'll want to know about this BEFORE you've purchased the property, trust me!

Even if you buy a property free and clear and choose NOT to purchase flood insurance to protect yourself... this could still be a significant problem for the next person down the line who owns your property. When the time comes for you to sell (even if that sounds like a long way off), a property with an elevated flooding risk can create a serious obstacle in the selling process. When most buyers find out they need flood insurance (and, more importantly, how much it's going to cost them), this can be a significant deterrent for buyers who otherwise would have been interested in buying your property.

Is Your Property In A Flood Zone?

Luckily, there's a quick and FREE way to determine if your property is located in or anywhere near a flood zone. I'll show you how to do it in the video above if you've a few minutes.

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[jacquelinesmith]

Thanks so much. I just couldn’t understand the fema maps. This Obie site seems much simpler, I’m going to try it. 👏🏼🙏

[Whitewolf]

Thanks for the video. I live in Florida. I have been on the FEMA website, and according to them, my house is in an AE flood zone. I cannot understand why. This house was built in 1962 without any flooding and zero claims. My parents lived here before me and have never had any problems. There is a creek beyond the backyard and during the rainy season has very rarely risen, and never comes into the backyard. The house is on an elevated part of the property and has never been flooded. Our neighbors have never been flooded in all those years either. We have a French Drain as well. So, I do not understand why I'm in a flood zone and forced to carry flood insurance. I understand the mortgage company wants to protect their investment but so do I, that's why I have homeowners insurance and forced flood. There is barely a mortgage on this property and when I took it over, the flood insurance was raised to $5380 a year. Tell me that's not a ripoff. I guess this is a question for FEMA. I need to wish myself good luck with that question for FEMA. Insurance of any kind takes extreme advantage of the average citizen. Car, homeowners, flood, etc... I pay $9, 000 annually just to drive; on an old car, a 2022, and a 2017 car. I have a good driver "discount" I have never been in an accident.

[deere]

We bought our property at the end of a small sub-division in 1989 because it was the highest lot. It's 5 acres with a small creek bordering it and there is a small portion that is low and was in the flood plain, but where our house sits is up a hill in the center of the property several feet higher and not in the flood zone. In 2016 we got notified that our house is now in the flood zone. Our next door neighbor paid $700 to have theirs removed to save on flood insurance because they have a mortgage. I elected not to do it at this time. The fact that our house is in the flood zone is ridiculous to say the least. Thanks for the video.

[TheMambomaster]

Stanford Act started the NFIP. CFR44 requires insurance on all federally backed mortgages

[johnnyspropshop]

That last mapping is what I've been searching for. Thanks. Sub'd.

[benjamint.]

and what aout the flood factor risk map on redfin ?

[Californiagoldfarm]

Thanks for the video !! And please I have a question I found a land on the mls when I check it’s on ae zone is that mean I cannot build a residential property on it ? In the same time it’s says R-3

[johnwyatt]

Nice, I was just working on a flood map on GeoHECRAS.

[DarkerSideOfDawn]

How does being in a flood zone next to DEC property affect your property value?

[TheMambomaster]

You still need an elevation certificate by a licensed surveyor