FEMA Flood Zone

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As of November 15, 2022, FEMA revised the flood map that indicates what flood zone you are in.  FEMA did not do this as a result of Hurricane Ian, however.  As a developer, our engineers have told us about this looming revision for nearly a year in advance, which allows developers to prepare future sites for the future Base Flood Elevations.  For 99% of our clients on FMB, you are either in a V-zone or AE Zone.  Some AE zone properties are considered Coastal-A zones which require all AE homes to build to V-zone standards.  More on that below.  

You can type in your address HERE to confirm your property status.  

Let's use an example: Once your property is identified, you will see a dilineation of lines that define your flood zone.  Let's assume FEMA has your property as AE-12.  The AE zone are areas that have a 1% risk of flooding annually with a 26% risk of flooding over the course of a 30-year mortgage. 

The number 12 represents your Base Flood Elevation (BFE).  FEMA requires the finished floor height to be built at 1' above the BFE, otherwise known as the "1 foot of freeboard rule."  So if your property is AE-12, the floor you walk on in your finished house must be 13' above sea level.  If your survey shows that your existing grade or the raw dirt on your property is 3.5' above sea level, your finished floor height must be the difference of the two.  So in this example, 13' - 3.5' = 9.5'.  

This home's finished floor height must be 9.5' off the virgin grade which is also equal to 13' above sea level in this example.

Homes in the AE flood zone do not require driven piling foundations, however other means of flood-proofing must be designed.

Once you identify your property in the link I gave above, you will notice a black line with arrows.  If your property is in an AE Zone and your property is on the side of the line with the arrows pointing toward your property, your  home must be designed to V-zone standards.  This means driven piling foundation or a spread footer foundation that addresses erosion and scouring.  

Hope this helps!