V zones are the highest-risk coastal flood zones. Here is what they mean. Paste an address below to see its FEMA flood zone, or a whole list to check them all at once.
Quick answer
Flood zones V and VE are coastal high hazard areas: land with a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year where storm waves are expected to be 3 feet or higher. VE has a base flood elevation that includes the waves; V was mapped by approximate methods and has none. Both are in the Special Flood Hazard Area, so flood insurance is required for mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders, and building rules are the strictest on the map.
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US addresses with a house number and a state or ZIP. Only the address is used for the check.
New and substantially improved buildings must be raised on piles or columns so the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member is at or above the base flood elevation, with the space below free of obstructions or enclosed only by breakaway walls. Fill can't be used to support the building.
Inland of the V zone, waves are smaller. Some maps draw a Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA): between it and the V zone, waves of 1.5 to 3 feet are expected, an area often called the Coastal A zone, where many communities apply V-zone-like building rules.
Required with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender. Under Risk Rating 2.0 the premium reflects the property's own risk, and storm surge with waves is among the costliest flood types to insure.
A guide and a planning check, not an official flood zone determination: a lender's determination, or FEMA's own map, is the official answer for a single property.
What does flood zone VE mean?
A coastal high hazard area with a 1% or greater annual chance of flooding and storm waves of 3 feet or more, with a base flood elevation that includes the wave height.
What is the difference between zone VE and AE?
Both are high-risk 100-year floodplains with base flood elevations. VE adds breaking waves of 3 feet or more, so its building rules are stricter: elevation on open foundations and no fill.
Is flood insurance required in zone VE?
Yes, for mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders.
How do I check if an address is in a V zone?
Enter it in the checker above: it shows the FEMA zone and the base flood elevation where FEMA publishes one.