“If the property is found to be in a flood zone, the mortgage company will require flood insurance,” says Adam D’Annunzio, a real estate agent with Keller Williams in New Jersey who sells real estate in flood zones such as the Jersey Shore. If you’re obtaining financing, the mortgage company will also investigate the most updated flood zoning as well. However, regardless of state laws, “Full disclosure is certainly the ethical responsibility of the seller and the listing agent,” Harper says.Īs a homebuyer, you should research the property and flood maps (or have your real estate agent check) to see if it’s in a flood hazard area. But in states such as New York, sellers are required by law to disclose to a potential buyer whether the property is in a floodplain or has previously flooded. While all states have laws regarding property disclosure, the specific laws regarding FEMA flood zone status vary from state to state, says Johnny Harper, owner of J and J Home Inspections in Nashville, TN.įederal laws don’t require disclosure of previous flooding. Is a property’s flood zone status disclosed to home shoppers? “You can also ask your home insurance agent,” says real estate agent and attorney Bruce Ailion, of Atlanta’s Re/Max Town and Country. While FEMA maps and Flood Factor ratings can certainly help you get a sense of a property’s flood risk, you should know that these numbers are only a start and are by no means a crystal ball showing you a property’s future risk of flooding with 100% certainty.Īside from flood maps, other resources to check include tax record databases and title searches, both of which should indicate a property’s flood risk. A flood risk map showing an area’s risk of flooding in the future While Flood Factor works in conjunction with FEMA, this tool uses more current data based on changing climate conditions to forecast a particular home’s probability of flooding in the future. To shore up this shortcoming, the flood risk tool also features data from Flood Factor, created by the nonprofit First Street Foundation. So while FEMA data is used to determine insurance risk and building code requirements‚ they do not necessarily calculate the likelihood that a property might flood in the future. While FEMA flood maps are a trusted government resource on flooding, one downside is that many of their maps are decades old-meaning you may not be getting the most current snapshot of a home’s flood risk. Beyond FEMA flood maps: Other flood risk tools to check These areas are outside the SFHA zones and are at higher elevations. The areas with the lowest chance of flooding are labeled with a C or X. ![]() Moderate flood zones are labeled with a B or X, and reflect a 0.2 % annual chance of a flood (also considered a 500-year flood). ![]() According to FEMA, SFHAs have a 1% annual chance of flooding, “also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood.” High-risk zones are known as a Special Flood Hazard Area. A sample flood zone map from FEMA.įEMA has a little over a dozen flood zone classifications based on the estimated frequency of storms that could cause flooding in an area. The flood risk tool connects you directly to the Federal Emergency Management Agency site, where you can enter a property’s address and view a map showing flood zones in the area. The flood zone mapping tool helps homebuyers assess a property’s flood risk. One good starting point is the flood risk tool, a one-stop portal highlighting two distinct flood risk ratings for a property. There are a few ways to determine a home’s flood hazard status. How to find out if a home is in a flood zone So how can you find out if your home is in a flood zone-and if it is, what protections can you put in place? Whether you own a home or are looking to buy, here’s how to figure that out. ![]() According to Popular Science, “Nearly 15 million American properties are at substantial risk of flooding in the next 30 years, and more than three million are almost certain to be underwater at some point in that time.” And due to climate change, flooding may also become more common.
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