Flood Insurance Policy
Homes and businesses in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to have flood insurance. While flood insurance is not federally required if you live in a moderate- to low-risk flood area, your lender may still require you to have insurance.
If you live in a high-risk flood zone and you’ve received federal disaster assistance in the form of grants from FEMA or low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) following a Presidential Disaster Declaration, you must maintain flood insurance in order to be considered for any future federal disaster aid.
What is a Flood Map?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) works with communities across the country to identify flood hazards and promote ways to reduce the impact of those and other hazards. Flood maps are used for floodplain management, flood insurance rating, and to determine flood insurance requirements.
Flood maps generally show a community’s flood zones, floodplain boundaries, and Base Flood Elevation; together they show the risk of flooding.
No matter where you live or work, some risk of flooding exists. To find your community’s flood map, visit the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, then type in your address and search. You may view, print and download flood maps, open an interactive flood map (if available), and view all products related to your community.
Flood Insurance Policies cover buildings and their contents against loss caused by flooding, mudslides and related perils.
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States, affecting every state. Flooding can be caused by storms, dams or levees breaking, new development changing how water flows above and below ground, snowmelt and much more.
In some cases, Flood Insurance is required.