Flood Zone X is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designation for areas with a low to moderate risk of flooding. On flood maps, there are two types of Zone X regions. Unshaded Zone X indicates a low risk of flooding while shaded Zone X signifies moderate risk.
While it is not mandatory for homeowners in Zone X to carry flood insurance, it’s important to remember that minimal risk of flooding doesn’t mean no risk, and standard home insurance does not cover flood-related damage. If you have a home in an area designated Zone X, purchasing flood insurance is a practical way to protect your property from the financial burden of a loss.
Defining Flood Zone X
Flood Zone X refers to an area with either minimal or moderate flood risk. It’s crucial to know if your home is in a flood zone — and which one it’s in — so you can take the proper flood mitigation precautions and purchase the right level of flood insurance.
What’s the difference between shaded and unshaded Zone X?
Put simply, shaded Zone X means moderate risk and unshaded Zone X refers to minimal risk. But how does FEMA actually define those risk levels? First, it’s important to understand some common (though confusing in name) terms used to discuss floods:
- 500-year flood: A 500-year flood doesn’t refer to a flood that happens every 500 years. Rather, it means the chance of a flood occurring is 0.2% each year. Floods are rare here.
- 100-year flood: Similarly, 100-year floods don’t happen once every 100 years. Instead, this means the chance of a flood occurring is 1% each year. This makes flood risk a little more likely. Over a 30-year mortgage, there’s a 26% chance of flooding.
So how do those terms impact shaded Zone X and unshaded Zone X?
- Shaded Zone X is an area of moderate flood hazard, somewhere between the limits of the 100-year flood and 500-year flood. This means the annual risk of flooding in this area is somewhere between 0.2% and 1%.
- Unshaded Zone X represents a minimal flood hazard, as these areas sit outside the 500-year floodplain and are typically protected from 100-year floods by levees. This means the annual flood risk in these locations is statistically lower than 0.2%.
Note: On older FEMA flood maps, you may see shaded Zone X referred to as Zone B and unshaded Zone X referred to as Zone C.
What is Flood Zone X’s base flood elevation?
In higher-risk flood zones, called Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA), FEMA establishes a base flood elevation (BFE). This is the height that waters will likely reach in the event of a flood. Buildings are generally required to be constructed above that level.
Because Flood Zone X is not considered a SFHA and poses such a low risk of flooding, FEMA does not specify BFEs for Zone X.
Do you need flood insurance in Flood Zone X?
Although there is no mandatory flood insurance for homes in Flood Zone X, there is still a chance that homes and their contents can be damaged by floods, especially in shaded Zone X areas. And because flood damage is excluded from coverage in standard home insurance policies, it’s wise for homeowners in Zone X to purchase flood insurance to protect the financial investment they’ve made in their property.
In fact, FEMA reports that roughly 25% of all flood insurance claims come from areas with low to moderate flood risk. In other words, homeowners in Zone X are responsible for 1 in 4 flood insurance claims.
Paying for flood insurance when it’s highly unlikely your home will actually be damaged by a flood may feel like a pain, but flood policies are usually quite affordable for homeowners in Flood Zone X. Flood insurance can be purchased through a private insurer or the FEMA-backed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
How much does flood insurance cost in Zone X?
According to FEMA, the median cost of flood insurance through the NFIP is $789 a year for a single-family home. However, NFIP data include homes in locations with a higher flood risk and thus higher premiums.
Homeowners in Zone X could pay a lot less for flood insurance, depending on the coverage you need, the value of your property, and the insurer you choose. In general, areas that have a low risk of flooding should come with lower premiums for flood insurance.
How to determine if your property is in Zone X
You can determine if your property is in Zone X (or any other designated flood zone) by using FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. Here’s how:
- Go to the website and enter your address into the search box. You can also use longitude and latitude coordinates, if you know those.
- Click the search button and wait for your map to load.
- On the results page, you can review your map to see if you’re in Zone X or any other flood zone. You can also download or print the map, as well as download all the map information and data.
If you believe your zone is incorrect on the map, you can work with FEMA to correct it through the Letter of Map Amendment process or the Letter of Map Revision-Based on Fill process. Visit the FEMA website for details.
Ways to lower flood insurance premiums in Zone X
Though flood insurance premiums tend to be relatively low in Zone X, there are still ways to potentially reduce them further, including:
- Elevating your home, particularly on pilings, to make it easier for water to pass through
- Installing FEMA-compliant flood vents, which allow floodwaters to pass through spaces like garages and crawl spaces
- Altering your landscaping so that water drains away from your home.
Another way to lower your home insurance costs — whether it’s a standard home insurance policy or flood insurance — is to increase your deductible. In general, the higher the deductible, the lower the annual insurance premium.
Just bear in mind that in the event a covered incident damages your property, your deductible is the amount of damage you agree to cover out of pocket. So, be sure to select a deductible you could easily pay on short notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flood Zone X bad?
No, a home in Flood Zone X is not bad, especially if it’s in unshaded Zone X. The risk of a flood in unshaded Zone X is minimal. Risk is moderate in shaded Zone X. This lower risk profile means flood insurance premiums are typically less expensive in this zone than in others. You may even be able to purchase a Preferred Risk Policy from the NFIP for as little as $39 a year.
Is Zone X a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)?
Zone X is not a Special Flood Hazard Area because it only has a low to moderate risk of flooding. Because Zone X is not considered a SFHA, there is no mandatory purchase requirement.
Even so, some lenders may still require homeowners to purchase flood insurance for the duration of their mortgage.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Zone X?
No, standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover flooding in Zone X or any other flood zone. To get financial protection against flood damage, you’ll need to purchase flood insurance as a policy add-on or separate policy.
What’s the difference between Flood Zone X and Flood Zone AE?
Flood Zone X is considered a low- to moderate-risk flood zone while Flood Zone AE is a high-risk flood zone, where flood insurance is mandatory and more expensive. The table below breaks down core differences between Flood Zone X and Flood Zone AE:
|
Flood Zone X |
Flood Zone AE |
| Risk level |
Low to moderate |
High |
| Insurance requirement |
Not required but available |
Required |
| BFE availability |
No |
Yes |
Can Flood Zone X change over time?
Yes, Flood Zone X designations can change over time. Flood risks in a given area can alter depending on natural shifts in the land, changing weather patterns, and ongoing land development. FEMA routinely works with land surveyors and local engineers to update its flood maps to be as accurate as possible.
Learn more about flood zones
