Full street address works best. No address handy? Use my current location.
💧 Compare flood insurance quotes
High-risk zone, or want coverage anyway? Even minimal-risk homes flood. Compare policies from top providers.
What the flood zones mean
High-risk zones (Special Flood Hazard Area)
1% or greater annual chance of flooding (the "100-year floodplain"). Flood insurance is required with a federally backed mortgage.
Moderate & minimal risk (Zone X)
Shaded Zone X is the 0.2% annual-chance ("500-year") area — moderate risk. Unshaded Zone X is minimal risk. Insurance isn't federally required, but about 1 in 4 flood claims come from outside high-risk zones.
Undetermined or unmapped (Zone D / no data)
Zone D means the area hasn't been studied — risk is possible but unknown. Some rural counties aren't in FEMA's digital layer at all. This tool tells you honestly when a location is unmapped, rather than implying it's safe.
Get a flood-risk report for your home
Join the list and we'll send a plain-English flood-risk summary and tips on lowering your flood-insurance premium. These go out as they're written, not instantly. No spam.
Common questions
How accurate is this?
Results come live from FEMA's official National Flood Hazard Layer — the same maps insurers and lenders reference. It's informational, not an official flood determination or Elevation Certificate. Always verify the exact structure location on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before financial decisions.
Does a flood zone affect my mortgage?
Yes. If your home is in a high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area (A or V zones) and you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender requires flood insurance.
My area came back "unmapped" — am I safe?
No — unmapped means FEMA has no data there, not that there's no risk. Contact your local floodplain administrator or a surveyor for an authoritative answer.
Building an app? Use the API 🔌
The same FEMA flood-zone lookup, as a clean JSON API for real-estate, insurance, and lending tools. Address or lat/lon in, flood zone + SFHA + FIRM panel + plain-English meaning out.
GET /flood-zone?address=1 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach FL
{
"result": {
"coverage": "mapped",
"floodZone": "AE",
"inSpecialFloodHazardArea": true,
"riskLevel": "high",
"firmPanel": { "panel": "12086C0317L", "effectiveDate": "2009-09-11" },
"meaning": "High-risk (Special Flood Hazard Area)..."
}
}
Read the API docs →