Flood zones, by community.

Across the Central and West Florida counties we cover, 16% of homes listed or sold since December 13, 2024 sit in a high-risk FEMA flood zone (an A or V zone), and another 4% are in the moderate-risk shaded X zone. By county, the share in a high-risk zone runs from 50% in Charlotte and 42% in Pinellas down to 3% in Alachua. These come from the flood zone on each MLS listing, one record per address.

Zones that start with A or V are FEMA's high-risk areas, called Special Flood Hazard Areas: land with at least a 1% chance of flooding in any year, which FEMA puts at about a 26% chance over a 30-year mortgage. AE is the most common one here. V and VE are coastal areas that also face storm waves. Shaded X (shown as X500 in MLS listings, B on older maps) is moderate risk, between the 1% and 0.2% flood lines. Unshaded X (C on older maps) is minimal risk. D means FEMA hasn't studied the area, which isn't the same as no risk.

If the home is in a high-risk A or V zone and you have a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, which is nearly every mortgage, your lender has to require flood insurance. Outside those zones it isn't required by law, though a lender can still ask for it.

It's worth pricing. FloodSmart says nearly one-third of flood claims over the past 10 years came from outside high-risk areas. In a lower-risk X zone, a policy usually costs far less than in an A zone, and most homeowners policies don't cover flood at all.

Yes, and the last step takes effect soon. Florida law has phased in a flood requirement for Citizens homeowners policies that cover wind: high-risk zones first, then by the home's replacement cost ($600,000 and up in 2024, $500,000 in 2025, $400,000 in 2026). Starting January 1, 2027, it applies to every Citizens personal residential policy, whatever the value. Condo unit-owner policies are exempt.

Yes. Since October 1, 2024, Florida sellers of residential property have to give buyers a flood disclosure at or before signing the contract. Since the 2025 update, it asks whether the seller knows of flooding that damaged the home while they owned it, whether they filed a flood insurance claim, and whether they got flood assistance, including from FEMA. It also reminds buyers that homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood.

A new NFIP flood policy usually starts 30 days after you buy it. The big exception for buyers: there's no wait when the policy is bought in connection with making a mortgage, so a policy bound at closing starts right away. Don't wait for a storm in the forecast to shop for one.

Every for-sale listing on October 27, 2026 plus homes that closed since December 13, 2024, one record per address, rentals excluded, from Stellar MLS. Each listing reports its FEMA flood zone; a lot that touches more than one zone counts as high-risk if any part is an A or V zone. A community shows when at least 5 of its listings report a zone. The map's colored zones come straight from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer. Always confirm a specific address on FEMA's map before you buy.