The hazardous flood zones where damage is most severe. These include zones V (usually first-row, beach-front properties where the velocity of water is particularly damaging) and A (usually impacting properties near water).
An area having special flood, mudflow, or flood-related erosion hazards, and shown on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or a Flood Insurance Rate Map as Zone A, AO, A1-A30, AE, A99, AH, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/AO, AR/A1-A30, V1-V30, VE, or V. For the purpose of determining Community Rating System premium discounts, all AR and A99 zones are treated as non-SFHAs.
A FEMA-identified high-risk flood area where flood insurance is mandatory for properties. An area having special flood, mudflow, or flood-related erosion hazards, and shown on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or a Flood Insurance Rate Map as Zone A, AO, A1-A30, AE, A99, AH, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/AO, AR/A1-A30, V1-V30, VE, or V.
SFHA) - Under the National Flood Insurance Program, an area having special flood, mudslide (i.e., mudflow) and/or flood-related erosion hazards, and shown on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or Flood Insurance Rate Map as Zone A, AO, A1-A30, AE, A99, AH, V, V1-V30, VE, M or E.
An area defined on a Flood Insurance Rate Map with an associated risk of flooding. Back
areas inundated by a flood having a one percent probability of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (also referred to as the 100-year flood).
Any area inundated by the base (1% annual chance) flood; these areas are identified on the FIRM as Zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A1-30, A99, V, VE, and V1-30.
Darkly shaded area on a flood map that identifies an area that has a 1 percent chance of being flooded in any given year (100-year floodplain). Over a 30-year period there is a 26 percent chance that this area will be flooded.
An area within a floodplain having a 1 percent or greater chance of flood occurrence in any given year (100-year floodplain); represented on Flood Insurance Rate Maps by darkly shaded areas with zone designations that include the letter A or V.
