Moderate- to low-risk
Zones FEMA has mapped as areas of moderate to minimal flood hazard. These areas are typically protected by levees or are in shallow flooding areas.
Low-risk, however, does not mean a flood won’t occur. In fact, about 25% of all flood insurance claims come from moderate- to low-risk zones. This does not include the many properties in zones B, C and X that flood every year, and do not carry flood insurance.
Zones FEMA has mapped as areas of high flood risk. Properties located in A and V flood zones have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year, and a 26% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage.
This 1% or greater annual chance of flooding is often referred to as a 100-year flood. The term 100-year flood is widely misunderstood to mean that these areas only flood once every 100 years.