Do I Need Flood Insurance in Zone X?

“Zone X” refers to an area with a moderate to low risk of flooding.

Depending on your location, aversion to risk, and budget, you may or may not want to carry flood insurance in Zone X.

Find out everything you need to know about flood insurance in Zone X.

What is Zone X?

Flood Zone X is a flood map designation used to indicate an area with a moderate to low risk of flooding.

Technically, there are two types of Zone X seen on FEMA’s flood maps:

Flood Zone X (Unshaded): 1% to 0.2% annual risk of flooding.

Flood Zone X (Shaded): Less than 0.2% risk of flooding each year.

There is no specific base flood elevation for Flood Zone X.

Do I Need Flood Insurance in Flood Zone X?

Lenders do not require you to carry flood insurance in Flood Zone X to obtain a mortgage:

• Flood Zones A and AE are considered Special Flood Hazard areas. Homeowners are required to carry flood insurance to obtain a mortgage in these areas.
• Flood Zone X is not a Special Flood Hazard area and has a low to moderate risk of flooding per year.

Should I Get Flood Insurance in Flood Zone X?

Flood insurance is optional in Flood Zone X. You do not need to carry flood insurance to obtain a mortgage.

Nevertheless, many property owners in Flood Zone X choose to carry flood insurance.

Why buy flood insurance in Flood Zone X? Some of the reasons include:

Reason #1: Your Property Could Still Flood

Flood Zone X properties still have a chance of flooding. You’re away from the high-risk flood zone, but there’s still a 1% chance per year of experiencing a flood. Over a 30-year mortgage, you have a reasonable chance of experiencing a flood at least once.

In fact, statistically speaking, a house with a 30-year mortgage living in an area with a 1% risk of flooding would have a 26% chance of experiencing flood damage during the life of the mortgage.

Reason #2: Peace of Mind

Many homeowners like paying for peace of mind. Peace of mind has value. If it rains heavily in your area, or if severe storms cause local waterways to flood, then you can relax knowing you have flood insurance.

Reason #3: Increasing Uncertainty in Low to Moderate-Risk Areas

Flood insurance is becoming important even in areas not prone to flooding. As seen during the Hurricane Helene flash floods in eastern North Carolina and other parts of Appalachia during 2024, flood insurance can be valuable even when living in lower-risk areas.

Fewer than 1% of homeowners in eastern North Carolina carried flood insurance. Many of these homeowners lost everything with no ability to make an insurance claim.

Reason #4: Flood Insurance is (Relatively) Cheap in Zone X

Flood insurance is cheaper in Flood Zone X. Because you have a lower risk of flooding, your insurer charges lower premiums.

Overall, most Zone X homeowners do not carry flood insurance. However, some do carry flood insurance for peace of mind, value, and overall protection.

How Much Does Zone X Flood Insurance Cost?

Homeowners in Flood Zone X pay around $700 per year for flood insurance, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.

In comparison, homeowners in Zones A and AE could pay thousands per year for the same coverage.

How NFIP Flood Insurance Works for Zone X

Most flood insurance policies in the United States come from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

• If you buy flood insurance through FEMA for Flood Zone X, here’s how it works:
• The NFIP’s flood insurance covers up to $250,000 for your home and$100,000 for personal property.
  It takes 30 days for a new NFIP flood insurance policy to take effect (unless you just purchased a home and need to buy flood insurance for the mortgage).

The NFIP isn’t your only option; some private insurers provide flood insurance. Private flood insurance plans could have higher limits. Some can be bundled with your homeowners insurance policy for discount savings.

Types of Flood Zones

FEMA has set different flood zones based on local risk of flooding.

FEMA calculates flood zones by considering local waterways, base flood elevation, normal water height, local protection measures, and other factors.

The general rules for these flood zones include:

• If your flood zone begins with the letters B, C, or X (or a shaded X), then you live in an area with a moderate to low risk of flooding. Flood insurance is generally not required in these areas to obtain a mortgage.
• If your flood zone begins with the letters A or V, then you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area, or a high-risk area.

Specific flood zone types include:

1. Flood Zone A: Flood Zone A has a high risk of flooding. If you live in Flood Zone A and have a mortgage, you must buy flood insurance.
2. Flood Zones V & VE: Flood Zones V and VE cover coastal areas with a moderate risk of flooding but a higher risk of damage from storm waves. These areas have a roughly 1% chance of flooding per year (26% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage). However, property owners with mortgages must obtain flood insurance because of the higher risk of storm waves.
3. Flood Zone D: Flood Zone D refers to an area where FEMA has not calculated local flood risk. Insurers may use their own calculations or, in most cases, simply charge higher rates.
4. Flood Zone B: Flood Zone B refers to floodplains that have a lower risk of flooding because of certain protective measures – like levees or local drainage systems.
5. Flood Zone X: Flood Zone X refers to areas with a low to moderate risk of flooding – say, between 0.2% and 1% per year.
6. Flood Zone C: Flood Zone C properties may have ponding and local drainage problems but otherwise have a low risk of flooding.

How to Check Your Flood Zone

Do you know your home’s flood risk? It’s important to know when determining how much insurance coverage you need.

FEMA publishes its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) online at https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home. These are the same maps used by insurers to calculate premiums based on your local flood risk.

Consider Adding Flood Insurance

According to FEMA, roughly 20% of NFIP claims and one-third of federal disaster assistance for flooding goes to homeowners in moderate to low-risk areas – including homeowners in Flood Zone X.

Over a 30-year mortgage, you have a 26% chance of experiencing flood damage in Flood Zone X. It’s only 1% per year. Over 30 years, however, the chance adds up.

Contact your insurer or FEMA to ask about flood insurance today.

Stephanie Corona

Stephanie is a property insurance claim expert with over 20 years of experience working as an insurance adjuster, expert witness, appraiser and umpire. She is passionate about sharing her expertise, knowledge, tips and training to help both property owners and Public Adjusters in their pursuit of effectively managing claims and recovering the claim settlement they deserve after a loss.