#Fema flood maps by address plus

If you are susceptible to storm surge, flood insurance is recommended, even if you are not located in a FEMA flood zone. Storm Surge flooding occurs when an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm is pushed toward the shore by strong winds.Visit the Know your Zone Evacuation Level Lookup to find your zone.

#Fema flood maps by address plus

The evacuation zones are marked from A through E, plus non-evacuation zones.

Evacuation zones are based on hurricane storm surge zones determined by the National Hurricane Center using ground elevation and the area’s vulnerability to storm surge from a hurricane.

Visit the Pinellas County Flood Map Service to find your flood risk.Ī few inches of water is all it takes to cause major damage to your home and its contents. Like with the FEMA SFHA, these floodplains are also considered high risk areas and subject to specific regulation.

Pinellas County Flood Hazard Areas (FHAs) are areas that have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year.

For an accurate BFE, refer to the Flood Profiles or Flood Elevation Tables in the Flood Insurance Study.

It should be noted that the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) on the maps is only accurate to plus or minus a half foot.

For additional Flood Zone information visit

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 (unshaded).

Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone X (shaded) are also shown on the FIRM, and are the areas between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood.

During base flood conditions, the potential for breaking wave heights between 1.5 feet and 3.0 feet will exist. Coastal A Zones are the areas landward of a V Zone. Wave action is expected in V and Coastal A zones, so specific building criteria are required.

By law, all homes in high-risk zones carrying a federally backed mortgage must be covered by flood insurance. High risk areas, referred to as Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) are shown on the map as zones labeled with the letters A or V. High risk areas are defined as having a 1% chance of being flooded in any given year, which is also referred to as the 100-year flood or base flood.Each flood zone designation, represented by a letter or letters, tells homeowners what the risk is for flooding at their property over a period of years, regardless of the cause. Flood zones are areas mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in the National Flood Insurance Program.Use our interactive maps to see the difference. You may be in a flood zone, a storm surge area, or an evacuation zone. Base flood elevation (BFE) means the elevation of a flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, which is commonly referred to as the '100-year flood' or the 'one-percent-annual chance flood.'Įveryone is at risk for flooding.Flood hazard means base flood elevation, design flood elevation, flood hazard area, or flood zone.More information.įederal requirements for flood insurance are only based on the FEMA FIRM, not the Pinellas County flood maps. Know your zone and follow evacuation orders. Evacuation zone maps are based on ground elevation and the area’s vulnerability to storm surge. More information.Įvacuation may be necessary due to the risk of storm surge from tropical storms or hurricanes. These maps are used for hurricane preparedness and planning. Storm surge maps display where flooding will occur when an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm is pushed toward the shore by strong winds. Like with the FEMA FIRM high risk flood zones, these floodplain areas are also considered high risk areas and subject to specific development regulation. More information.Ĭounty floodplain maps developed from detailed watershed and coastal studies also show areas that have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. The FIRM is used to determine building and flood insurance requirements. High risk areas have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. Residents are advised to check all of them to learn what your flood risk is.įEMA flood zone maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), show areas of high and moderate to low flood risk. A home may be located in a non-evacuation zone, yet still be located in a high-risk flood zone because of a nearby stream or pond.

They measure different conditions that may not occur at the same time, are determined by different methods, and have different purposes.

Find out what the flood hazard and required development standards are BEFORE you develop your plans.įlood zones, evacuation zones, and storm surge are different.