FAQs

Area of Special Flood Hazard include Zones A, AE, AO, AR, A99 AND V.

(Zone V) Coastal flood zone with velocity hazard (wave action); no base flood elevations determined. These are those areas closest to the shoreline and subject to wave action, high-velocity flow, and erosion during the 100-year flood.
(Zone VE ) Coastal flood zone with velocity hazard (wave action); base flood elevations (BFE) is determined.
(Zone A) are areas subject to flooding during the 100-year flood, but base flood elevations (BFE) is not determined.
(Zone AH) areas with flood depth 1 to 3 feet (usually areas of ponding); base flood elevation (BFE) is not determined.
(Zone AO) areas with flood depth 1 to 3 feet (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain); average depths determined. For areas of alluvial fan flooding, velocity also determined.
(Zone AR) areas of special flood hazard formerly protected from the 1% annual chance flood event by a flood control system that was subsequently decertified. Zone AR indicates that the former flood control system is being restored to provide protection from 15 annual chance or grater flood event.
(Zone A99) Area to be protected from 1% annual chance flood event by Federal flood protection system under construction; no base flood elevation (BFS) determined.
(Floodway areas in Zone AE) The floodway is the channel of a stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment so that the 1% annual chance flood can be carried without substantial increases in flood depth.

Other flood areas:

(Zone X Shaded ) Areas of 0.2% annual chance flood; areas of 1% annual chance flood with average depth of less than 1 foot or with drainage area less than 1 square miles; and protected by levees from 1% annual chance flood. Federal Insurance Rating Maps (FIRMs) shows these areas in darker shade and labeled Zone-X.

Other area:

(Zone X) Areas to be outside of 0.2% annual chance flood. In the FIRMs these areas are labeled as Zone-X but are not shown as shaded.
(Zone D) Areas in which flood hazards are undetermined, but possible.