Flooding is something you don’t expect, but it is definitely something you should prepare for if you are living in a flood zone. But how do you know if your home is in a flood zone or not?
Here’s how –
3 Easy Ways to Check If Your House Is In A Flood Zone
1. FEMA Flood Map Service Center – FEMA.Gov
The most common and official way to check whether your home is in a flood zone or not is by visiting the Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA flood map service center. Just go to their site and search your home using your address or specific longitude & latitude coordinates.
If you are inquiring about an empty lot that doesn’t have an address yet, simply put an address near the vacant lot and search with that.
On the next page, you’ll be shown a map highlighting the risky flood zone.
2. National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer – NFHL
A good alternative for FEMA’s flood map service center is the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer.
Unlike FEMA’s flood risk map, this is more interactive. However, since this is an interactive map, it takes some time for the browser to load. So, give it a minute to see the search functionality on the map.
From the map, you can see different flood zones and you can even have a printout of the map if you need it for future reference.
3. Obie Risk Map
The third option is to use Obie Risk Map. This is my favorite option among the 3, and for good reasons. First of all, it looks simplified and easier on the eyes. Also, it is more user-friendly than the FEMA Flood Map and the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer.
Most importantly, the maps show three flood risk levels. Black-ish parts on the maps indicate a low risk of floods. The yellow parts showcase the areas with moderate risks of flooding. But if you are in the red marked areas, you should be concerned since these areas have the highest risk of flood damage.
However, take this information with a grain of salt. This info is supposed to be advisory, not hard facts.
Another advantage of Obie Risk map is its instant quote functionality which gives users the estimated cost of flood insurance for their home.
When you are searching for your home on the Obie Risk map, if it ends up in a flood zone or very close to one, you’ll see an option to “Get Instant Quote” and they will calculate the estimated flood insurance cost for you home.
What if my house is in a flood zone?
If your home doesn’t fall into a flood zone – good, you are off the hook. But if your home does fall into one, don’t panic. That’s what insurance is for – to cover accidental damages. But standard home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. In this case, you can get additional flood insurance that’ll cover your home from flood-related damage.
