What the zone letters mean
| A, AE, AH, AO | High risk. FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area: at least a 1% chance of flooding in any year. |
|---|---|
| V, VE | High risk on the coast, with waves on top of the flooding. Also a Special Flood Hazard Area. |
| X (shaded) | Moderate risk, most often the 0.2% chance (500-year) floodplain. Federal law doesn't require insurance here, but a lender may. |
| X (unshaded) | Minimal flood hazard on FEMA's map, which is not the same as no risk. |
A 1% yearly chance sounds small. Over a 30-year mortgage, a home in a high-risk zone has about a 1 in 4 (26%) chance of flooding at least once.
Why it matters before you offer
- Insurance can be required. If the building is in a high-risk zone and the loan comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or is an FHA, VA or USDA loan, federal law requires flood insurance for the life of the loan.
- Homeowners insurance usually doesn't cover it. Most homeowners policies exclude flood damage. Flood coverage is a separate policy, and most flood policies take 30 days to start, so get a quote early.
- It changes the monthly cost. A flood premium is part of the payment you need to qualify for. Know it before you offer, not after.
- Part of the lot is enough to ask. A zone that touches the lot but not the house can still matter for a future addition, a driveway that floods, or a lender's decision.
What the seller has to tell you
Maryland passed a flood risk disclosure law in 2026 (House Bill 200). Starting July 1, 2027, most sellers of one- to four-unit homes must give buyers a state form before a contract is signed. It covers whether the home is in a FEMA high- or moderate-risk area, whether flood insurance is required, and what the seller knows about past flood damage, insurance claims and federal flood aid.
Until then, the only flood questions are on the standard disclosure form, and a seller who gives the disclaimer (selling as is) doesn't answer them. Ask directly about past flooding, water in the basement and flood insurance claims. Read the bill.
Storm surge is a separate map
On the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore, a hurricane can push water onto land that FEMA maps as Zone X. Curbnote also checks the National Hurricane Center's storm-surge zones, so you see both.
Check it yourself
- Type the address above for the zone, the flood map panel and its date.
- Look up the official map at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, or in Maryland on MDE's Flood Risk Application, which also shows new maps that aren't in effect yet.
- Ask whether the house has an elevation certificate; it can help price flood insurance.
- Then go through the rest of the records checklist.