By name: flood-zone-lookup description: Use when the user mentions flood zone, flood risk, FEMA, SFHA, floodplain, property due diligence, natural hazard disclosure, flood insurance, base flood elevation, or asks whether a property is in a flood zone. version: 1.0.0
Flood Zone Lookup
Query FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer to determine the flood zone designation for any US street address.
When to Use
- User asks about flood risk for a property
- User is doing property due diligence and needs hazard info
- User mentions FEMA, SFHA, flood insurance, or floodplain
- User wants to know if a property needs flood insurance
How to Use
- Get the street address from the user (ask if not provided)
- Call the
query_flood_zonetool with the full address (include city, state, zip) - Interpret results using the guide below
Interpreting Results
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
zone |
FEMA flood zone code (e.g. AE, X, VE) |
zoneName |
Plain English description of the zone |
sfha |
true = Special Flood Hazard Area (federally regulated) |
riskLevel |
high, moderate, or minimal |
bfe |
Base Flood Elevation in feet (only for zones with BFE data) |
Risk Level Guidance
- High (SFHA zones: A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, VE): Mandatory flood insurance if federally-backed mortgage. Located in the 100-year floodplain (1% annual chance of flooding). Coastal V/VE zones have additional wave action hazard.
- Moderate (X Shaded, B, D): 500-year floodplain or undetermined. Insurance not required but recommended. Preferred Risk policies are typically cheaper.
- Minimal (X, C): Outside mapped flood areas. Lowest risk. Insurance optional but available.
Key Talking Points
- SFHA = mandatory flood insurance for federally-backed mortgages (FHA, VA, conventional with Fannie/Freddie)
- Zone AE is the most common high-risk zone — it means FEMA has mapped the base flood elevation
- Zone X is the most common minimal-risk zone
- FEMA maps are updated periodically — check the map effective date for currency
- Even minimal-risk zones can flood (25% of flood claims come from low-risk areas)