How to Check if Land Is in a Flood Zone Before You Buy

What Does It Mean if Land Is in a Flood Zone?

FEMA maps areas based on their level of flood risk. One important designation is the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), which includes areas subject to a 1% annual chance of flooding, sometimes called the "100-year floodplain."

Despite the name, that doesn't mean flooding happens only once every 100 years. It means there is a 1% chance of that level of flooding occurring in any given year.

For land investors, though, the bigger question isn't simply whether a flood zone touches the property. 

It's how much of the property is affected and where. A flood zone covering a small portion of a 20-acre parcel is very different from one covering nearly the entire property.

Why Flood Risk Matters for a Land Deal

Flood risk doesn't automatically make a property a bad investment, but it can change the deal.

Depending on the property and its intended use, flood risk can affect:

• Buildability: Where and how a future owner can develop the property.
• Access: A usable homesite doesn't help much if flooding affects the practical way in and out.
• Financing and insurance: Certain properties and structures in higher-risk flood areas can face additional insurance or lending requirements.
• Resale: Future buyers may be less interested if flood risk significantly limits how they can use the property.

That's why we don't recommend immediately rejecting every property that intersects a floodplain. Investigate it first.

How to Check Flood Risk in Land Portal

We use Land Portal during property research to identify potential issues like flooding before spending more time on a deal.

Start by locating the parcel you want to research in Land Portal. Once the property is selected, you can see its boundaries and property information directly on the map.

Turn On FEMA Flood Data

Next, then the FEMA flood map overlay on.
This allows you to see where mapped flood areas intersect the actual parcel boundary.

Look at the entire property: Does the flood area cover most of the parcel? Half? A section along a creek? Or just a small corner?

This gives you much more context than simply knowing that a property has some level of flood exposure.

Use the FEMA % Filter When Building Lists

Land Portal also includes a FEMA percentage filter, which is especially useful when you're searching for properties at scale. Instead of discovering flood issues after you've already built a list, you can use FEMA percentage as one of your criteria when narrowing down properties.

You can also combine flood information with Land Portal's Wetlands %, Road Frontage AI, Slope %, Water Features and other property filters to identify potential issues much earlier in your search.

Research properties before you make an offer.Use Land Portal to evaluate FEMA flood data, wetlands, slope, road frontage and other important property characteristics in one place.

Don't Stop at the Flood Map

Flood risk is only one part of vacant land due diligence. If you see potential flood exposure, look at what else is happening on the property.

Check the wetlands. Look at the terrain and slope. Confirm road access. Pay attention to nearby water features and consider where someone could realistically build.

Several constraints overlapping in the same area can tell you much more than any one data point by itself.And if flood risk could materially affect whether you purchase the property, verify the information before closing.

FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official source for flood hazard information and is a good place to continue your research. Depending on the property, you may also want to contact the local planning department, floodplain administrator or another qualified professional.

Should You Buy Land in a Flood Zone?

There's no universal answer. A property being in a flood zone doesn't automatically make it a bad investment.

What matters is how much of the property is affected, where the flood risk is located, and how it could impact the property's usability and resale potential.

A property with plenty of usable land outside the flood area may still make sense, while one with limited buildable acreage, difficult access, wetlands, steep slopes or other overlapping constraints could be a very different deal. Sometimes your research will tell you to walk away. Other times, it may simply change what you're willing to pay.

The important part is finding out before you buy. Flood risk is just one piece of understanding what a property is actually worth, and doing your due diligence upfront can help you avoid properties that don't make sense and move forward more confidently on the ones that do.

Make due diligence easier with Land Portal. Research flood data, wetlands, slope, access and more before your next land purchase.

Start Researching Land →