What Is Flood Zone A? Your Risk and Insurance Costs

The Federal Emergency Management Agency uses flood zones to determine flood risks throughout the United States. Flood Zone A locations have a high flood risk because of their proximity to large bodies of water, such as ponds and lakes.

Although a standard homeowners policy protects homes against damages from fires, windstorms and other perils, home insurance doesn't cover flood damages. 

Homeowners must buy flood insurance to cover losses caused by floodwaters. In high-risk Zone A areas, FEMA requires homeowners to purchase flood coverage, especially if they have a federal mortgage.

On This Page

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  What Is Flood Zone A?

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  Insuring Flood Zone A

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  The NFIP Vs. Private Flood Insurance for Flood Zone A

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  What Do Flood Zones Mean in Terms of Risk?

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  FAQs

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  Buy Private Flood Insurance To Protect Your Home

What Is Flood Zone A?

Flood Zone A communities have a higher chance of floods due to their proximity to ponds, lakes and other large bodies of water.

On FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Hazard Boundary Map, the federal agency classifies Zone A as a Special Flood Hazard Area, which has a 1% annual risk of a major flood, also known as the base flood or 100-year flood. This percentage translates to a 26% chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage period.

In high-risk Zone A areas, FEMA requires homeowners to purchase flood coverage

FEMA further sections this zone into specific classes based on each community's flood rating and risks. Zone A locations have identical base flood premiums that include AE, AH, AO and A99.

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Insuring Flood Zone A

Are homes in Flood Zone A required to have flood insurance?

 SFHA locations, like Zone A, have a one-in-four risk of a flood during a 30-year mortgage. Under federal law, Flood Zone A homeowners and businesses must carry flood insurance if they have federal mortgages.

Is my house in a flood zone?

You may identify your home's flood risk by using FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), which displays each community's SFHAs and risk premium zones. You can learn about your area's flooding risk in these ways.

• Get a copy of your property's FIRM panel from local planning and zoning administrators.

• Retrieve a Flood Map Service Center from FEMA.

• Download National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) data using FEMA's GeoPortal. Visit the National Flood Hazard Layer for details.

How do flood zones affect home insurance costs?

Flood zones don't affect your homeowners insurance premiums; however, your zone impacts your flood insurance rates. Other factors include your home's elevation, foundation, your area's flood frequency risks and BFE (the height that floodwaters reach in base flood periods).

The national average for NFIP flood insurance in Zone A is $2,841 a year.

Flood Zone A doesn't have BFE values, because FEMA hasn't performed hydraulic analyses in these areas; however, these communities still have a high flood risk because of their proximity to water.

How much is flood insurance in Flood Zone A?

The national average for NFIP flood insurance in Zone A is $2,841 a year. This figure is $1,800 more than the estimated national average of  $969 for NFIP policies. Here are NFIP base premiums in SFHAs, like Flood Zone A.

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The NFIP Vs. Private Flood Insurance for Flood Zone A

The NFIP plans only cover floodwater damages when a situation meets FEMA's flood definition. FEMA defines a flood as a partial or complete inundation of two (or more) acres of property. NFIP policies don't cover losses if only one property is inundated by flooding.

The federal government also mandates a strict 30-day waiting period for all NFIP policies. If a flooding disaster occurs before flood coverage starts, FEMA won't insure the policyholder for any damages. Additionally, NFIP plans also impose coverage limits that may not pay for all expenses.

Private flood insurance policies include expanded flood coverage at better rates for homeowners. One study found flood residents could save 20 to 40 percent on their rates when they purchased a policy from a private insurer.

What Do Flood Zones Mean in Terms of Risk?

*The above percentages reflect the flood risks that a community faces, but each homeowner's flood risk depends on the flood's severity, the home's location within flood zones and the house's flood protection.

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Private flood insurance policies include expanded flood coverage at better rates for homeowners.

Buy Private Flood Insurance To Protect Your Home

FEMA uses flood zones to evaluate a community's flood risk. Flood Zone A communities have a higher flood risk because of their proximity to ponds, lakes and other bodies of water.

In Zone A, FEMA requires residents who have federally-backed mortgages to buy flood insurance. Although FEMA sells flood insurance through its NFIP, homeowners and businesses can save 20% to 40% when they buy a private flood insurance policy.

If you need better homeowners insurance coverage and a flood policy, SmartFinancial can help you get free insurance quotes. Enter your zip code below and answer a few questions to get started.