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Flood Hazard Zones
Do you know your flood zone?
Knowing your flood zone means you know your flood hazard risk. FEMA developed Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) that determine Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). Visit the DLNR Flood Hazard Assessment Tool to find out if you are located in a SFHA.
| Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) | |
|---|---|
| Moderate to Low Risk Areas | |
| Shaded X: (Previously B) | Areas of 500-year flood (0.2% chance of annual flooding); areas of 100-year flood with average depths of less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; and areas protected by levees from 100-year flood. |
| Zone X: (Previously C) | Areas determined to be outside 500-year flood plain. |
| High Risk Areas | |
| Zone A: | 1% chance of annual flooding; No base flood elevations determined. |
| Zone AE: | Base flood elevations determined. |
| Zone AEF: | Flood way areas in Zone AE. The flood way is the channel of stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment so that the 1% annual chance flood can be carried without increasing the BFE. |
| Zone AH: | 1% chance of annual shallow flooding; Flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (usually areas of ponding); base flood elevations determined. |
| Zone AO: | 1% or greater chance of annual shallow flooding. Flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain); average depths determined. For areas of alluvial fan flooding, velocities also determined. |
| High Risk Coastal Areas | |
| Zone V: | Coastal flood zone with velocity hazard (wave action); no BFE determined. |
| Zone VE: | Coastal areas with a 1% or greater chance of annual flooding with increased risk due to storm waves; base flood elevations determined. |
| Undetermined Risk Areas | |
| Zone D: | Areas in which flood hazards are undetermined, but possible. |
Protect People from the Hazard
- Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 1 foot of water can sweep your vehicle away. Turn around, don’t drown!
- Avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers, and creeks during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly and with little warning.
- If there is a chance of flash flooding, move immediately to higher ground. Flash floods are the #1 cause of weather-related deaths in the US.