Question:
I brought a home and was not aware that it was in a flood zone. There are no levees in the area so how is it in a flood zone?
Flood insurance is expensive. Is there low cost flood insurance and is it possible to be omitted because the house was built before the flood zone was established?
Answer:
State law requires sellers to disclose to home buyers whether a home is in a Special Food Hazard Area (the inundation area of a Base Flood, which is a 1% annual chance flood, a.k.a. "the 100-year flood") denoted on a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. The reasons for designating Special Flood Hazard Area on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps can vary. Besides the presence of levees, there can be other river/creek/channel flow or local drainage issues that can result in flooding during a Base Flood. For properties in Los Angeles County, go to Public Works' Flood Zone Determination web page to see what flood zone your property is in.
The flood insurance requirement for insurable structures with a federally-backed mortgage cannot be removed solely because a structure was built before FEMA mapped it into a Special Flood Hazard Area. If your structure gets newly mapped into a Special Flood Hazard Area, you can obtain flood insurance at an initial low cost Preferred Risk Rate for the first 12 months following the new map's Effective Date. If you obtain the insurance prior to the Effective Date of the new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map , you can gain almost an extra year of the low cost Preferred Risk Rate. On renewal of the insurance policy, this rate will increase annually until the full-risk rate is reached. If your newly mapped structure has a federally-backed mortgage, you are required to obtain flood insurance within 1 year of the Effective Date of the new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. For more details, see FEMA's factsheet on newly mapped buildings. Your insurance agent can provide you with the appropriate rate and more information.
You may also be able to reduce your flood insurance rate by having an Elevation Certificate completed for your property and/or completing a Letter of Map Amendment application.
An Elevation Certificate documents the height of your home's first floor in relation to the Base Flood water surface elevation. The higher the floor is above that water level, the lower the insurance rate will be. For more details, see FEMA's factsheet on Elevation Certificates and FEMA's Elevation Certificate Form. If your property is in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, go to Public Works' Elevation Certificate web page to see if your property already has an Elevation Certificate on file with the County. If your property is in an incorporated city, contact your city's National Flood Insurance Program Administrator.
The Letter of Map Amendment will officially remove your home from the Special Flood Hazard Area shown on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map and eliminate the flood insurance mandate. However, to qualify for a Letter of Map Amendment, the owner will have to submit scientific evidence to FEMA showing that the ground the home is sitting on is actually not in the Special Flood Hazard Area. For more details, see FEMA's factsheet on Letters of Map Amendment and FEMA's Letter of Map Amendment Application Form. If your property is in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, go to Public Works' Letters of Map Change web page to see if your property already has a Letter of Map Amendment from FEMA.
Links to FEMA's factsheets/forms and Public Works' web pages are provided below.
Links:
Flood Zone Determination Website
FEMA Fact Sheet for Newly Mapped Structures
FEMA Fact Sheet Elevation Certificates
FEMA's Elevation Certificate Form
Elev Certs for LA County Unincorporated Areas
FEMA's Letter of Map Amendment Factsheet
FEMA's Letter of Map Amendment Application
Letters of Map Change for LA County Unincorporated
I brought a home and was not aware that it was in a flood zone. There are no levees in the area so how is it in a flood zone?
Flood insurance is expensive. Is there low cost flood insurance and is it possible to be omitted because the house was built before the flood zone was established?
Answer:
State law requires sellers to disclose to home buyers whether a home is in a Special Food Hazard Area (the inundation area of a Base Flood, which is a 1% annual chance flood, a.k.a. "the 100-year flood") denoted on a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. The reasons for designating Special Flood Hazard Area on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps can vary. Besides the presence of levees, there can be other river/creek/channel flow or local drainage issues that can result in flooding during a Base Flood. For properties in Los Angeles County, go to Public Works' Flood Zone Determination web page to see what flood zone your property is in.
The flood insurance requirement for insurable structures with a federally-backed mortgage cannot be removed solely because a structure was built before FEMA mapped it into a Special Flood Hazard Area. If your structure gets newly mapped into a Special Flood Hazard Area, you can obtain flood insurance at an initial low cost Preferred Risk Rate for the first 12 months following the new map's Effective Date. If you obtain the insurance prior to the Effective Date of the new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map , you can gain almost an extra year of the low cost Preferred Risk Rate. On renewal of the insurance policy, this rate will increase annually until the full-risk rate is reached. If your newly mapped structure has a federally-backed mortgage, you are required to obtain flood insurance within 1 year of the Effective Date of the new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. For more details, see FEMA's factsheet on newly mapped buildings. Your insurance agent can provide you with the appropriate rate and more information.
You may also be able to reduce your flood insurance rate by having an Elevation Certificate completed for your property and/or completing a Letter of Map Amendment application.
An Elevation Certificate documents the height of your home's first floor in relation to the Base Flood water surface elevation. The higher the floor is above that water level, the lower the insurance rate will be. For more details, see FEMA's factsheet on Elevation Certificates and FEMA's Elevation Certificate Form. If your property is in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, go to Public Works' Elevation Certificate web page to see if your property already has an Elevation Certificate on file with the County. If your property is in an incorporated city, contact your city's National Flood Insurance Program Administrator.
The Letter of Map Amendment will officially remove your home from the Special Flood Hazard Area shown on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map and eliminate the flood insurance mandate. However, to qualify for a Letter of Map Amendment, the owner will have to submit scientific evidence to FEMA showing that the ground the home is sitting on is actually not in the Special Flood Hazard Area. For more details, see FEMA's factsheet on Letters of Map Amendment and FEMA's Letter of Map Amendment Application Form. If your property is in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, go to Public Works' Letters of Map Change web page to see if your property already has a Letter of Map Amendment from FEMA.
Links to FEMA's factsheets/forms and Public Works' web pages are provided below.
Links:
Flood Zone Determination Website
FEMA Fact Sheet for Newly Mapped Structures
FEMA Fact Sheet Elevation Certificates
FEMA's Elevation Certificate Form
Elev Certs for LA County Unincorporated Areas
FEMA's Letter of Map Amendment Factsheet
FEMA's Letter of Map Amendment Application
Letters of Map Change for LA County Unincorporated