How To Determine Your Flood Hazard Area Status

12/25/2021 (Permalink)

When you are purchasing a homeowner's insurance package for your home in Punta Gorda, flood insurance may be mandatory if you live in an area that is particularly prone to flooding. Such an area is called a flood zone or flood hazard area. Homeowners in moderate to low-risk areas may purchase flood insurance if they want to do so, but it is often a required coverage if you live in a high-risk area. To assess your risk and determine if you need to purchase a flood policy, you need to take a few steps.

1. Enter your address on FEMA's Map Service Center page. FEMA works in conjunction with the National Flood Insurance Program to provide information about flood hazard areas to homeowners. There you can find out the official flood hazard status for your area. You are also able to see the date from which NFIP sanctions are in effect and download a customized copy of the information for your home's specific area.

2. Evaluate your special flood hazard area status. The flood zone map may show your property in an SFHA. What this means is that a flood that exceeds the floodplain has a 1% chance or better of happening every year. If you disagree with this determination, you can either purchase the insurance suggested or contest the status.

3. Contest your flood hazard area status. If you believe the map is wrong, you can submit a letter of map amendment online. After reviewing your submission, FEMA can decide whether or not the map is in error. If it is, you may not be required to purchase flood insurance.

Even if you don't live in a flood zone, it may be a good idea to purchase flood insurance. Most homeowners' policies don't cover flood damage remediation after a storm, so having that extra coverage may come in handy.