People love to be near the water. Whether it’s a river, lake, or the sea, a body of water makes for a beautiful landscape and many fun activities.
Unfortunately, these bodies of water can also cause flooding. Flooding can happen at any time no matter where you live, so it is important to get educated about floods and flood zones.
Here is South Florida, we’re close to the water in just about every location, but what are the differences between the different zones, and what do you need to keep in mind when it comes to the potential hazards that come with them?
Special Flood Hazard Areas – High Risk
Special Flood Hazard Areas represent the area subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual chance flood. Structures located within the SFHA have a 26-percent chance of flooding during the life of a standard 30-year mortgage.
Federal floodplain management regulations and mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply in these zones.
Coastal High Hazard Areas – High Risk
Coastal High Hazard Areas (CHHA) represent the area subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual chance flood, extending from offshore to the inland limit of a primary front al dune along an open coast and any other area subject to high velocity wave action from storms or seismic sources.
Structures located within the CHHA have a 26-percent chance of flooding during the life of a standard 30-year mortgage.
Federal floodplain management regulations and mandatory purchase requirements apply in these zones.
Moderate and Minimal Risk Areas
Areas of moderate or minimal hazard are studied based upon the principal source of flood in the area. However, buildings in these zones could be flooded by severe, concentrated rainfall coupled with inadequate local drainage systems.
Local stormwater drainage systems are not normally considered in a community’s flood insurance study. The failure of a local drainage system can create areas of high flood risk within these zones.
Flood insurance is available in participating communities, but is not required by regulation in these zones. Nearly 25-percent of all flood claims filed are for structures located within these zones.
The Sarasota County High Risk Flood Zone interactive map allows all interested parties to search for County parcels by address and determine if the parcel is intersected by a FEMA-designated High Risk Flood Zone and the local Community Flood Hazard Area.
