Flood hazards pose significant risks to property, agriculture, and development projects. Understanding flood risk is essential for landowners, farmers, realtors, developers, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding property use and investment. AcreValue provides comprehensive flood hazard maps to help users visualize and assess flood risks on their properties.
AcreValue sources its flood hazard maps and related data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a U.S. government agency responsible for coordinating responses to disasters, including floods. FEMA’s flood hazard maps cover the lower 48 states, providing standardized and authoritative flood risk assessments.
How Can Users Find Flood Hazard Maps for Their Property?
Follow the steps below to find flood hazard maps for your property:
Navigate to Your Property
- Log in to AcreValue: Ensure you are logged into your AcreValue account.
- Navigate to the map: Go to the map section of AcreValue.
- Select a Property Boundary or Sale Record: Click on a property boundary or a sale record to open its summary page.
Create a Flood Hazard Map
- View Average Flood Risk Percentage: On the summary page, the average flood risk for the entire property will be displayed, providing a quick overview of the general flood hazard risk levels.
- Generate a Full AcreValue Property Report: For a detailed flood hazard map, generate a full AcreValue property report.
- Navigate to the “Flood hazard” Section: Once the report is generated, go to the “Flood hazard” portion to view the comprehensive flood hazard map for the selected property, highlighting areas of varying flood risk zones.
Flood Hazard Zone Designations within Maps
Flood hazard maps classify areas into distinct zones based on flood risk:
High Flood Risk (Special Flood Hazard Areas - SFHAs)
- Description: Areas with a 1% annual chance or greater of flooding, also known as base flood zones or 100-year flood zones.
- Labels: Zones beginning with the letters ‘A’ or ‘V.’
Moderate Flood Risk (Non-Special Flood Hazard Areas)
- Description: Areas with a flood risk between the 1% annual chance (100-year flood zone) and the 0.2% annual chance (500-year flood zone).
- Labels: Zones beginning with the letters ‘B’, ‘C’, or shaded ‘X.’
Minimal Flood Risk
- Description: Areas above the 500-year flood zones, indicating very low flood risk.
- Labels: Zones beginning with the letters ‘B’, ‘C’, or shaded ‘X.’
Undetermined Flood Risk
- Description: Areas where flood analysis has not been conducted.
- Label: Zones labeled ‘D.’
Why Are Flood Hazard Maps Helpful to Users?
Flood hazard maps provided by AcreValue offer valuable insights for various user groups, enabling them to make informed decisions related to property use, investment, and management.
- Farming Impact: For farmers, areas of higher flood risk can lead to waterlogged fields, damaging crops and reducing farmland productivity. Knowing the flood risk helps farmers plan better for crop selection and land use.
- Construction Planning & Feasibility: Developers must assess flood hazard zones when planning construction projects. High-risk areas may necessitate additional engineering solutions or could render development projects infeasible due to the elevated risk.
- Impact on Property Values: Flood hazard levels directly influence land value through factors like farming productivity, insurance costs, damage risk, and resale challenges. Landowners can use flood maps to make informed decisions about property improvements, pricing, and resale strategies.