Welcome to Paradise!

Buying in a Flood Zone

Before you buy your new home, you should consider annual flood insurance costs. Flood zones determine the premiums for flood insurance rates and set construction standards for parcels located in the Special Flood Hazard Area, commonly called the FEMA floodplain.

A Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) is defined by FEMA 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. In these high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. All home and business owners in these areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to buy flood insurance.

Moderate flood hazard areas, are the areas between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. In moderate-to-low risk areas, the risk of being flooded is reduced but not completely removed. These areas submit over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding. Flood insurance isn’t federally required in moderate-to-low areas, but it is recommended for all property owners.

The areas of minimal flood hazard, are the areas outside the SFHA and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood.


Click Here for Lee County Flood Maps and info.
Click Here for Lee County Insurance Rates Maps

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *