Virginia Flood Risk Information System (VFRIS) helps communities, real estate agents, property buyers and property owners discern an area's flood risk. By pulling together information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, Esri GIS and the Virginia Geographic Information System, VFRIS allows users to quickly locate and see if property is within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The tool includes limit of moderate wave action (LiMWA), changes since the last Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM, where available), parcel boundaries for most of the state, and the ability to download flood insurance studies and flood risk reports. Users may also upload shape files and draw on maps.
Knowing flood zone locations:
Note that VFRIS works best with Google Chrome or Firefox.
Click here to go directly to the map tool.
Local governments have authority over development within flood zones in their jurisdiction. If your property is in an SFHA, contact local officials for information on construction requirements. Account for flood insurance costs before buying property in or near an SFHA.
VFRIS maps have several flood zones. Flooding can occur on any property, not just within high or moderate flood risk areas.
High Flood Risk Areas | ||
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Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) | The area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. This area may also be referred to as a 100-year floodplain or the base flood. | All A and V zones (Zone A, Zone AO, Zone AH, Zone AE, Zone A99, Zone AR, Zone AR/AE, Zone AR/AO, Zone AR/A, Zone V, and Zone VE) |
Regulatory floodway | The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height. | Within Zone AE |
Moderate Flood Risk Areas | |
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Zone X (shaded) | The area between the limits of the 1 percent flood and the 0.2 percent annual chance flood. This area is also referred to as a 500-year floodplain. |
Low Flood Risk Areas | |
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Zone X (unshaded) | This area is outside the SFHA and higher than the elevation of the 0.2 percent annual chance flood. |
Other Flood Risk Areas | |
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Zone D | The area with a possible but undetermined flood risk, as no analysis of flood hazards has been conducted. |
Area with reduced risk due to levee | The area protected by a levee, reducing the flood risk, so long as the levee is properly maintained. |
Coastal Barrier Resource System (CBRS) areas are mapped by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and include CBRS Units and Otherwise Protected Areas (OPAs).
Flooding may occur in property outside an SFHA or moderate flood hazard area.
Coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program is not available for new or substantially improved structures in CBRS areas. Historically, these areas were shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps, but these were removed in February 2019. These areas are available for view on VFRIS. To view the most up-to-date boundaries and the official CBRS mapper, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.