| Flood Insurance: Introduction | |||
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Flood zones How is a flood zone determined? An area can be deemed a flood zone based on the following indicators: The different types of flood zones Moderate And Minimal Flood Hazard Areas (non-SFHA) Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) SFHAs are areas subject to inundation by a flood having a one-percent or greater probability of being equaled or exceeded during any given year. This flood, which is referred to as the 100 year flood (or base flood), is the national standard on which the floodplain management and insurance requirements of the NFIP are based. Within the SFHAs identified by detailed analysis, the FIRM shows base flood elevations (BFEs) and flood insurance risk zones. In addition to SFHAs, the FIRM shows areas subject to inundation during the 500 year flood and may show areas designed as a regulatory floodway. The regulatory floodway is the channel of a stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment so that the l00 year flood discharge can be conveyed without increasing the BFE more than a specified amount. Zone AR Zone AR is a Special Flood Hazard Area designation that may be used in areas where a Federal flood control system, such as a levee, that provided protection from the "base flood" or "100-year" flood no longer provides that level of protection. Flood protection systems that provide base flood protection are recognized on a Flood Insurance Rate Map as providing this protection. Zone AR designation on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map indicates that the increased flood hazard is considered temporary until the flood protection system can again provide base flood protection. A community must participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and meet the eligibility and application requirements of Section 65.14 of the NFIP regulations before it can receive the Zone AR designation on its Flood Insurance Rate Map. The "AR" stands for: Zone AR implementation Zone AR communities Los Angeles area: Sacramento area: Why was the AR Zone established? Because of floods in 1980 in the Los Angeles area and 1986 in the Sacramento area that nearly overtopped existing levees the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) reassessed the flood protection for both areas and determined that the levee systems no longer provided base flood protection. The USAGE's determination was based in part on increased flood flows attributed to urbanization. As a result, FEMA found it necessary to disaccredit flood protection systems in both the Sacramento and the Los Angeles County metropolitan areas, and these systems no longer satisfied the NFIP's criteria for accreditation on Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Consequently, Congress was concerned that property owners previously protected by these flood protection systems would have to purchase flood insurance at higher rates and elevate new construction to the base flood elevations that would be in effect without the flood protection system in place. Due to problems created by disaccreditation in California communities that are actively engaged in restoring their systems to provide base flood protection, Congress enacted Section 928 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, P.L. 102-55 42 USC 4014(F), establishing a flood control restoration zone, or Zone AR. 
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Not only are policy forms, clauses, rules and court decisions constantly changing, but forms vary from company to company and state to state. This material is intended as a general guideline and might not apply to a specific situation. The authors, LunchTimeCE, Inc., CEfreedom, and Insurance Skills Center, and any organization for whom this course is administered will have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of information contained in this course.
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