Floods are a fact of life in many areas.
Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zone designations are used by many industries. Insurance and home mortgage companies use the designations to determine the financial risk of funding a project or transaction in a particular area. Disaster-response teams also use the zone descriptions to better prepare for emergencies.
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for assisting in disaster response anywhere in the country. FEMA also is tasked with providing a reasonable means of prediction of where disasters, such as floods, are most likely to occur.
Flood Zones
Flood zones are determined by FEMA. Factors such as base flood elevation, or BFE, are considered when designating zones. The BFE is the calculated depth of a potential flood in an area dependent on its height of elevation with respect to sea level.
100-Year Flood
Floods that have at least a 1 percent chance of an annual occurrence are known as 100-year floods.
A2 Flood Zone
An A2 flood zone has a 1 percent chance of flooding inside of that 100-year flood zone. The A2 zone also has a 26 percent chance of experiencing a flood during a 30-year mortgage term.
Base Flood Elevation Information
An A2 designation differs from the regular A flood zone because BFE information is normally available in an A2 zone. This BFE information helps insurance and mortgage companies to more accurately assess risk and calculate rates.
Tags: flood zone, percent chance, Emergency Management, Emergency Management Agency, Federal Emergency
