What you need to know
about flooding

Check out  FEMA's Flood Map Service Center to find the flood risk for a particular address. You can also sign up for your community’s warning system.  If you live in Harris County, sign up for the County’s Flood Warning System  HERE.

Yes. There are private companies such as Climate Check and Risk Factor that use historical information and forecasted changes in weather patterns to assess the risk for a property. You may just enter the address of any property and see what risk factors may exist.

The Flood Insurance Rate Map is produced by FEMA and adopted by a city or by a country. It is used to determine flood insurance rates and floodplain management. It identifies areas at risk for flooding from a bayou, creek or other waterway overflowing during 1 percent (100-year) and 0.2 percent (500-year) floods, and from coastal flooding related storm surge from a tropical storm or hurricane. The map does not identify risks from street flooding caused by roadside ditches and storm sewers exceeding their capacity.

To see if your home is in a floodplain, visit FEMA’s Map Service Center at www.msc.fema.gov.

When a new map is issued or revised, insurance requirements may change. If you live in an area newly affected by a flood map change, review your options with your insurance agent.

Federal law requires FEMA to assess if flood maps need to be revised or updated at least every five years. 

A Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) is an area on a FEMA flood insurance rate map that has a minimum of a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year. Essentially, a SFHA is the 100-year floodplain on a flood insurance rate map. Structures located in a SFHA are required to have flood insurance if the owners have federally-backed mortgages or if their mortgage lenders require it.

Most homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage. You need to purchase a flood insurance policy that will protect your home, business and possessions. It typically takes up to 30 days for a policy to go into effect, so the time buy is before a disaster. You can get flood coverage through your insurance company. If you need help finding a provider, you can find one through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Flooding can happen just about anywhere it rains or snows. On average, 40% of the National Flood Insurance Program flood insurance claims occur outside the high-risk flood areas. That’s why it’s important to protect your property and possessions with flood insurance, even if you live in an area with low-to-moderate flooding risk. Flooding tops the list of natural threats in Harris County, according to the Harris County Flood Control District.

The government requires that homes in high-risk food areas (designated on flood maps by the letters AE or VE) be protected by flood insurance if they are security for loans backed by a federally regulated lender. Lenders must notify borrowers of this requirement, prior to closing, if their property is in one of these areas. Visit the Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov to learn more about your flood zone.

Yes, but keep in mind there is usually a 30-day waiting period before the policy goes into effect. There is an exception if you initially purchased flood insurance while securing, adjusting, or renewing a loan for your property. The coverage goes into effect when the loan is closed.