How Flood Zones Help You Determine Your Risk for Flooding

9/11/2019 (Permalink)

By learning your flood zone, you can take steps to better prepare yourself for this type of event

When it comes to natural disasters, floods are both common and dangerous. If you own a home in Trenton, OH, it’s important to be aware of your risk for flooding. Follow along below to learn how knowing your flood zone can help you determine this risk.

What Are Flood Zones?

Flood zones are simply areas of land, each with a defined level of risk. Each zone is defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and falls into one of the following three overarching categories:

• Special hazard area
• Moderate hazard area
• Minimal hazard area
  
  

Within these categories, zones are identified by a letter code. For example, if you’re in a moderate hazard area, you will belong to Zone B or Zone X. You can find definitions for your specific flood zone through FEMA.

Determining Your Zone

Knowing your home’s zone can help you make insurance and property protection decisions. Fortunately, it’s easy to figure out which zone you’re in. The first step is to visit the FEMA Flood Map Service Center website. Here, you can enter your home address to reveal a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for your location. Follow the map’s legend to find out your property’s level of risk.

What Are Your Options if You Experience a Flood?

In high-risk areas, a storm with heavy rainfall can easily lead to flood conditions. Luckily, if you experience damage, you have options. If you have flood insurance, check with your agent and begin the process for a claim. You may also want to look for emergency restoration services, which can help you restore your home to its pre-damaged state.

Flooding has the serious potential to damage or destroy your property. As a homeowner, it’s a smart idea to know your risk. By learning your flood zone, you can take steps to better prepare yourself for this type of event.