Consilium Guides / Flood zone AE
What does flood zone AE mean?
Zone AE is a high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area with a 1% annual chance of flooding, and FEMA has set a base flood elevation. For a home with a federally backed or federally regulated mortgage, flood insurance is required. FloodSmart describes that 1% annual chance, over a 30-year mortgage, as about a 1-in-4 chance of flooding at least once.
What a base flood elevation is
The base flood elevation, or BFE, is the computed height of that 1% annual-chance flood on the map panel. An elevation certificate compares the building's lowest floor with the BFE. A floor above the BFE is not a reason to skip the insurance requirement on its own. It is evidence that can support a map change or a rating factor. See FEMA's BFE definition.
The mandatory purchase requirement
In communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, a federally regulated or federally backed lender must require flood insurance on a building in an SFHA for the life of the loan. The coverage amount is generally the lesser of the outstanding loan balance, the maximum available under the NFIP, or the insurable value of the building. FEMA's flood insurance pages describe that rule. A cash purchase does not trigger the federal requirement. The mapped hazard is the same.
What affects premiums under Risk Rating 2.0
Risk Rating 2.0 uses property-specific factors, including distance to flooding sources, building characteristics, and replacement cost. The zone letter is not a price. This page does not estimate a premium.
AE, A, AH, AO, and VE
Zone A is also a 1% annual-chance SFHA, without a published BFE. AH and AO are shallow flooding. VE is a coastal high-hazard zone with wave heights of 3 feet or more. The zone codes hub has one row for each.
Map changes
A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) is how FEMA records that a structure or a map should change. Until the letter is effective, the published zone still applies. Start at FEMA's map-change pages.
How to check a property
Use the Flood Map Service Center for an address and the ZIP flood lookup to see how much of a ZIP is mapped AE or another high-risk zone.
How Zone AE appears in a report
A Consilium Compare report lists the share of each ZIP in high-risk zones and can name AE when that zone is in the overlap. It is area context, not a lender determination. The sample report shows the flood section.
FAQ
Is flood insurance required in zone AE?
Yes, when the property has a federally backed or federally regulated mortgage. Zone AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area. The required coverage is generally the lesser of the loan balance, the NFIP maximum, or the insurable value of the building.
What is a base flood elevation?
The base flood elevation is the height of the 1% annual-chance flood, as FEMA has calculated it for that map panel. It is the reference elevation used for building rules and for elevation certificates.
What's the difference between zone A and AE?
Both are high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding. Zone AE has a published base flood elevation. Zone A does not.
Can I get out of zone AE?
A Letter of Map Amendment or Letter of Map Revision can change how a structure or parcel is mapped if the elevation or the map itself supports it. FEMA decides those requests. The current map controls until a revision is effective.