FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map Zone Definitions

A, AE, AO zones are a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) requiring flood proof construction and flood insurance if a property owner has a mortgage.

VE zone is a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) requiring flood proof construction and flood insurance if a property owner has a mortgage.

SFHA are defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 1-percent annual chance flood is also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood. SFHAs are labeled as Zone A, Zone AO, Zone AH, Zones A1-A30, Zone AE, Zone A99, Zone AR, Zone AR/AE, Zone AR/AO, Zone AR/A1-A30, Zone AR/A, Zone V, Zone VE, and Zones V1-V30. VE zone is  subject to inundation by a 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards due to storm-induced velocity wave action.

X and 0.2 PCT ANNUAL CHANCE zones are not a special flood hazard area (SFHA).  Flood insurance is not required in these zones if a property owner has a mortgage.

Moderate flood hazard area, labeled Zone X, is the area between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. The areas of minimal flood hazard, which are the areas outside the SFHA and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood, are labeled Zone X.