If you own or are planning to purchase a property in an at-risk flood zone, it is important to understand what flood zones are. Knowing your area’s specific risk designation can help you make wise decisions about building regulations, insurance requirements, etc.
FEMA’s detailed flood maps identify a variety of areas with different risks. These are classified as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and include AE, AO, and V zones.
What is Flood Zone AE?
Flooding occurs when water from rain, snow, or melted ground exceeds the capacity of rivers, stream channels, and lakes or reaches the shoreline along tidal bodies of water. The excess water causes flooding, which can damage property and cause loss of life. Flooding is a natural process that can be prevented by preserving and restoring natural floodplain systems. However, people build homes, roads, and parking lots in floodplains, decreasing the system’s natural ability to store and disperse water. This can increase the risk of flooding and reduce a community’s ability to recover from it.
Understanding what is flood zone AE helps home buyers, builders, and insurance companies make informed decisions. This is because a flood zone is based on an area’s base flood elevation (BFE), and this figure determines the minimum requirement for building heights. It also determines the premium amount for a flood policy, as areas with higher BFEs are more likely to experience severe flooding.
Typically, properties in a flood zone AE are located within a regulatory floodway, shown on a FIRM or a separate Flood Boundary and Floodway Map for maps produced before 1988. More stringent development controls apply within a regulatory floodway, and any structure built must be elevated to or above the BFE. If a homeowner thinks of building a new system in the floodway, an engineering analysis must be completed and submitted to demonstrate that it will not raise the BFE.
Flood Insurance Requirements
Flooding is one of the most dangerous and costly hazards homeowners face. According to FEMA, just one inch of water can cause $25,000 worth of damage to a home. That’s why it is important to understand if your home or commercial building is in a flood zone. Whether you live in a flood zone AE or other high-risk areas, the federal government and your mortgage provider will require that you get a flood insurance policy to protect yourself against this potentially catastrophic loss.
FEMA’s flood maps determine which zones you are in, including AE, and which areas are at the greatest risk of flooding. The flood zones are categorized by different colors and designations that indicate the likelihood of flooding in each room. You can find a copy of your city’s FEMA flood map by entering the property’s address on their website. You can also view your community’s base flood elevation (BFE) on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
The BFE indicates the height to which floodwaters are expected to rise during a 100-year flood. The higher the BFE, the more you will pay for your insurance. You can lower your rate by ensuring that your lowest occupied floor and all electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other systems are elevated at or above the BFE level.
Flood Maps
The first step toward determining your property’s risk is to look at your local flood maps. A FEMA map is an official, comprehensive document that illustrates the flood zones of a community, more specifically, the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). You can find your local FEMA maps by entering your address into the search bar at the top of this page.
If your property is located in Zone AE, you will see that the zone is denoted with a shade of blue on your flood map. The color shading indicates how likely the area is to flood. Flood zones don’t follow city limits or property lines, so it’s important to consider the whole room when assessing your home’s risk.
A key indicator of your risk is the base flood elevation. This is indicated by the SFHA designation and written as “EL #,” with a number that varies by location. It represents the expected water height during a flood with a 1% chance of occurring in any year (a one-in-four case over a 30-year mortgage term).
Before closing the deal, you should check the flood map to purchase a new property. A property’s hazard zone can affect its value, so factor this information into your budget. Consider the cost of a flood insurance policy to ensure you can afford to cover any potential damage.
Flood Damage Prevention
Flooding is one of the most dangerous and costly home hazards homeowners face. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), just one inch of water can cause $25,000 damage. Understanding your community’s flood zones and risk levels can help you take steps to protect your home, minimize costs and reduce your vulnerability.
FEMA manages a database of flood maps for communities nationwide that identify different levels of flood risk. Enter your address at FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to find your community’s map. To understand what a particular area’s flood zone means, it is important to know its base flood elevation (BFE). BFE is the expected water height during a 1-percent-annual-flood event and is a reference point for building codes and insurance requirements.
The letter “AE” on a FEMA flood map denotes an area of the special flood hazard zone where BFEs have been determined. AE zones also identify the floodway and the floodway fringe, which are the areas that must be kept open to convey flood waters downstream without elevating the floodplain.
If you are considering buying a property in an AE zone, check the flood risk and flood insurance requirements before making an offer. You should also hire a professional to inspect the property for potential flooding risks, such as drainage issues and a history of flooding. You can also use your knowledge of the property’s flood risk as a negotiating point when determining its purchase price.
