Is my Orange County home in a flood zone, and do I need flood insurance?
Updated . By Landen Chu, Co-founder of OakTend. How we research
This guide is for Orange County, California homeowners. It is general information, not insurance advice; your agent and your lender have the final word on your policy.
How do I find my flood zone?
Go to FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, type in your address and open the dynamic map to view your FIRMette, the part of FEMA's flood insurance rate map that shows your address and its flood zone.
If your home is in unincorporated Orange County, county staff can make a flood zone determination for you. OC Development Services handles elevation certificates and FEMA maps at (714) 667-8888; see OC Public Works: Be Flood Ready. In a city, ask its floodplain administrator, often in the zoning or planning department.
What do the flood zone letters mean?
FEMA treats zones that begin with A or V as high risk. A Zone A home has a 1% chance of flooding in any year, which FEMA puts at a 26% chance over a 30-year mortgage. Other zones are lower risk, not no risk.
Do I have to buy flood insurance?
If you have a government-backed mortgage on a home in a high-risk area, yes: FEMA says those lenders require it. Otherwise it is up to you or your lender. You can buy it even outside high-risk areas, through an insurance agent, often the same one who sells your home or auto policy.
Earthquake insurance does not cover flood either; see our earthquake insurance guide.
Keep up with your home
Start my free home planWhat does a federal flood policy cover?
A National Flood Insurance Program policy covers the building up to $250,000 and your belongings up to $100,000. You can buy one, the other or both.
It does not cover things outside the house, like landscaping, decks, patios, fences, hot tubs and pools. It also leaves out belongings kept in a basement and the cost of staying somewhere else while you repair.
When should I buy it?
Before the rainy season, because of that 30-day wait. FEMA waives it in some cases, such as when a government-backed lender requires the policy or the policy is tied to a flood map change. For the storm itself, see free sandbags by city.
City pages: Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Fountain Valley, or every city on the Orange County hub.
Sources
- FEMA: flood insurance
Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage; there is typically a 30-day waiting period for an NFIP policy to go into effect, except when coverage is mandated by a government-backed lender or is related to a community flood map change; mortgages from government-backed lenders in high-risk flood areas are required to have flood insurance; you can buy it through an insurance agent. - FEMA: know your risk, homeowners and renters
Look up an address on the Flood Map Service Center and open the dynamic map to view its FIRMette; contact your community's floodplain administrator (often an official in the zoning or planning department); high-risk zones begin with A or V; Zone A has a 1% annual chance of flooding and a 26% chance over a 30-year mortgage; flooding can happen anywhere; flood insurance is available to all property owners and renters. - FloodSmart (National Flood Insurance Program): what a flood policy covers
An NFIP policy covers the building up to $250,000 and personal contents up to $100,000, bought for the home, belongings or both; it does not cover property outside the building such as landscaping, decks, patios, fences, hot tubs and swimming pools, belongings kept in basements, or temporary housing. - OC Public Works: Be Flood Ready
Flooding is not covered by a standard homeowner's policy and there is a 30-day waiting period; for properties in unincorporated Orange County, County staff can make flood zone determinations; OC Development Services handles elevation certificates and FEMA maps at (714) 667-8888.