Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a Flood Zone Determination, and why is this service needed?

A Flood Zone Determination (FZD) is an assessment of a property’s risk for flooding as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FZDs are made by locating properties in question on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) or Flood Hazard Boundary Maps (FHBMs) published by FEMA and include such data elements as Flood Zone, Base Flood Elevation or Depth (if determined), FEMA Community and Map information, and the property’s eligibility for flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The Federal Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 mandate that lenders determine the need for flood insurance by identifying mortgage properties on federal flood maps and ensuring that coverage is kept in force for the life of the loan.

In addition, FZDs are utilized by flood insurance professionals to rate and write insurance policies, and by property appraisers to complete the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR).

For more information on flood terms and their definitions, please see the Glossary of Terms.

What are “flood zones” and what do they mean?

Flood Zones are geographical areas designated on FEMA flood maps that reflect the risk of flooding in the area.

The following Flood Zones are considered Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) for which mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply:

Zone A

Areas of 100-year flood; no Base Flood Elevations determined.

Zone AE and A1-A30

Areas of 100-year flood; Base Flood Elevations determined.

Zone AH

Areas of 100-year shallow flooding with flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (usually areas of ponding); Base Flood Elevations determined.

Zone AO

Areas of 100-year shallow flooding (usually as a result of sheet flow on sloping terrain) with flood depths of 1 to 3 feet. Includes areas of alluvial fan flooding; velocities also determined.

Zone AR

Areas protected from flood hazards by flood control structures, such as levees, that are being restored. Upon restoration of subject flood control structures, the AR area will be revised and shown as being protected from the 100-year flood; Base Flood Elevations/Depths may be determined.

Zone A99

Areas to be protected from 100-year flood by Federal flood protection system under construction; no Base Flood Elevations determined.

Zone V

Areas of 100-year coastal flood associated with storm waves; no Base Flood Elevations determined.

Zone VE and V1-V30

Areas of 100-year coastal flood associated with storm waves; Base Flood Elevations determined.

The following zones are not considered SFHAs and mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements do not apply; however, FEMA still recommends the purchase of flood insurance for these zones:

Zone B

Areas between limits of the 100-year flood and 500-year flood; certain areas subject to 100-year flooding with average depths less than one (1) foot or where the contributing drainage area is less than one square mile; areas protected by levees from the base flood. Also may be represented as “BX”, or “Shaded X”.

Zone C

Areas outside the 100-year floodplain with chance of minimal flooding.

Zone D

Areas in which flood hazards are undetermined.

Zone “NONE”

Areas in which flood hazards are undetermined and/or no NFIP map is published.

Zone X

Areas outside the 500-year flood plain; areas of 500-year flood; areas of 100-year flood with average depths of less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; areas protected by levees from 100-year flood. Includes non-shaded areas (equivalent to zone C and may be represented as CX) and shaded areas (equivalent to zone B and may be represented as BX).

For more information on flood terms and their definitions, please see the Glossary of Terms

How does SLNF perform Flood Zone Determinations (FZDs)?

ServiceLink National Flood completes all FZDs using digital and hard copy FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Hazard Boundary Maps (FHBMs) in conjunction with geocoding technology, street maps, tax and plat maps, and aerial and satellite photography. SLNF bases all FZDs on the location of each property’s insurable improvements.

How are FEMA maps kept current?

In order to ensure that only the most current and effective data is provided and to identify properties affected by flood map updates, ServiceLink National Flood dedicates a team of specialists to maintaining a database of all current FEMA flood map information, which is consolidated from five government sources and updated on a daily basis.

How long does it take to get a FZD?

Flood information is processed through our national flood certification database and returned in real-time in most instances. Flood zone determinations that are not completed automatically will be manually researched and are usually returned within 8 hours. A status update will be provided for FZDs not returned within 24 hours as notification of the reason for delay.

Does SLNF guarantee the accuracy of FZDs?

Yes. Each flood zone determination is backed by an Errors and Omissions policy.

How long has ServiceLink National Flood been in business?

ServiceLink National Flood was established in 1988. For more information about ServiceLink National Flood, please see the Company Profile.