Lower-Risk Zones

• Areas with a less than 1 percent chance of annual flooding are listed as a low-risk area. These areas are the least likely to be flooded.
  
  

High-Risk Zones

• These areas have a greater than 1 percent chance of shallow flooding annually and a 26 percent or greater chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. These zones cover most areas next to rivers, ponds, or where levees have been or are being constructed.
  
  

High-Risk Coastal Zones

• These zones have a greater than 1 percent chance of flooding annually and a 26 percent or greater chance of flooding from storm waves during a 30-year mortgage. These zones are mostly found along coastal regions known to be in the path of hurricanes.
  
  

Undetermined Zones

• This flood zone has a possibility of flooding, but the chance of flooding has not been determined. Insurance rates usually follow the uncertainty of flooding.
  
  

Significance

• Flood zones are what determine the overall premium for flood insurance. These rates are calculated using the percentage chance an area will be flooded annually or within a 30-year period.