This page is about the City of Fort Lauderdale, not all of Broward County. The city runs its own flood program, so it has its own discount and its own claim record. For the countywide picture, see the Broward County flood insurance guide.
City of Fort Lauderdale flood insurance in 5 numbers
| The short version | City of Fort Lauderdale | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NFIP policies in force | 40,789 | FEMA policy records, July 2026 |
| Policies rated in an A or V zone | 78.8% | FEMA policy records, July 2026 |
| Average NFIP premium | $713 per policy | FEMA policy records, July 2026 |
| Claims paid, last 10 years | $194,171,181 on 3,287 claims | FEMA claim records, July 2026 |
| CRS discount | 15%, Class 7, since October 1, 2020 | FEMA Community Status Book |
What does flood insurance cost in the City of Fort Lauderdale?
The average NFIP policy in the City of Fort Lauderdale costs $713 a year. Read that number with care. It is an average per policy, and condo units count one each. The city has 40,789 policies on 18,493 policy records, because one condo building policy can cover many units. That pulls the average down. It is not what a typical single-family home pays. Three things move your own price.
1. Same flood zone, very different prices. Your flood zone decides if a lender requires flood insurance. The price depends on the home itself: how high the first floor sits, what it would cost to rebuild, and how often that spot floods. Two homes on the same Fort Lauderdale block can get very different prices. An elevation certificate may lower an NFIP price. A lender must also accept a private policy that meets the federal rules.
2. The City of Fort Lauderdale's own 15% discount. The City of Fort Lauderdale is its own NFIP community. It earns its own Community Rating System (CRS) score. FEMA's Community Status Book rates the city Class 7, worth a 15% discount on NFIP premiums for eligible policies. The class took effect on October 1, 2020. Other Broward cities have their own classes, so two addresses a few miles apart can get different discounts. Under Risk Rating 2.0 the city's discount applies city-wide.
Confirm your 15% credit is applied. If your home is inside City of Fort Lauderdale limits, check your declarations page for the CRS credit. Check my address to confirm which community your home is in.
3. The claim record around you. The City of Fort Lauderdale has 5,673 NFIP claims on record all time, and 3,287 of them came in the last 10 years. That record is why lenders ask for proof of flood coverage, and why how often your own spot floods matters to the price.
Flood zones in Fort Lauderdale: which 2 maps matter?
Two different maps answer two different questions in the City of Fort Lauderdale.
| FEMA flood zone | Broward evacuation plan |
|---|---|
| Decides if your lender can require flood insurance | Tells you when to leave before a storm (Plan A or Plan B) |
| Look up your FEMA zone | Broward County evacuation information |
The flood maps used in Broward County show zones AE, AH, AO and VE, plus lower-risk X areas, per the county's flood zone map FAQ. That list is countywide, not checked for the city alone. Zones that start with A or V are high-risk areas. A home there with a federally backed mortgage must carry flood insurance. Zone X has no federal requirement, but floods do not stop at map lines.
Broward's current flood maps took effect on July 31, 2024. Broward does not use lettered "evacuation zones." It uses two plans. Plan A is for Category 1 and 2 storms. It covers mobile homes, tidal and low-lying areas, and everyone east of the Intracoastal. Plan B is for Category 3 and stronger storms. It adds everyone east of US 1 (Federal Highway). You can also see the official flood maps at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
Broward emergency numbers for Fort Lauderdale residents
| Who | Phone | What they handle |
|---|---|---|
| Broward County Emergency Hotline | 311 or (954) 831-4000 | Evacuation orders, shelter openings, storm updates |
| City of Fort Lauderdale floodplain administrator | (954) 828-6133 | City flood rules and permits before you rebuild |
The hotline is a county office that serves Fort Lauderdale residents too. The city number comes from the county's directory of city floodplain contacts.
Shelters. Broward County keeps a standing list of 35 shelters and opens them as needed for each storm. One of them is in the city: Arthur Ashe/Rock Island, 1701 NW 23rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. It is not a pet-friendly site. Up to 3 pet-friendly shelters may open in other Broward cities, and they need a carrier or crate and proof of rabies shots. Shelters open about 4 hours after an evacuation order. Confirm which ones are open on the Broward shelter page or by calling 311.
More help: the Broward Emergency Management Division.
If your Fort Lauderdale home floods: 5 steps
- Stay safe. Do not walk or drive through flood water.
- Take photos and video of every room before you clean up.
- Call your insurance company and file the claim fast.
- Make a list of damaged items. Keep receipts for cleanup and repairs.
- Call the City of Fort Lauderdale floodplain administrator at (954) 828-6133 about permits before you rebuild.
The 50% rule. If repairs cost 50% or more of the building's market value, federal rules call the home "substantially damaged." It must then be brought up to current flood rules, which can mean raising it. In Broward County each city runs its own flood rules, so ask the City of Fort Lauderdale how it counts the cost. Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage on an NFIP policy can help pay for that work.
5 Broward storms behind these numbers
Claims by storm are kept for the whole county, not the city alone. These are Broward County figures. The City of Fort Lauderdale's own 10-year total is the $194,171,181 above.
| Storm | Year | NFIP claims in Broward County | Paid in Broward County |
|---|---|---|---|
| April Florida Flooding | 2023 | 3,394 | $245,864,856 |
| June South Florida Flooding | 2024 | 568 | $34,480,980 |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017 | 1,634 | $22,248,797 |
| Hurricane Eta | 2020 | 1,089 | $19,137,617 |
| Tropical Storm Alex | 2022 | 38 | $481,504 |
The April 2023 flooding was a rainstorm, not a hurricane. It still paid $245,864,856 across Broward County, more than the other four storms in this table put together. A storm does not need a name to flood a home.
Buying or closing in Fort Lauderdale? Read this first
About 8 in 10 City of Fort Lauderdale policies sit in a high-risk zone. If your home is in one and you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender will ask for proof of flood insurance before closing. Ask the seller for an elevation certificate and ask whether the seller's flood policy can be assigned to you at closing.
NFIP flood policies have a 30-day waiting period. The big exception: if you buy the policy as part of getting, refinancing, increasing, extending or renewing a loan on the home, coverage can start at closing with no wait, as long as the application and payment are in by closing. If a new flood map just put your home in a high-risk zone, you can buy within 13 months of the map date and wait only one day. A lender asking for flood coverage partway through an existing loan does not skip the wait. Private flood policies set their own waiting periods, often shorter. Broward's July 31, 2024 maps are past that 13-month window.
All major lenders accept private flood insurance under federal guidelines. The policy has to meet the federal definition of private flood insurance, so look for that statement on the policy or ask your lender. Private flood can cost less for some Fort Lauderdale homes and more for others. What a lender can require.
City of Fort Lauderdale flood insurance: 6 questions
How much is flood insurance in the City of Fort Lauderdale? The NFIP average is $713 per policy, per FEMA records from July 2026. Condo units count one each, so a single-family home can pay much more or less. Your price depends on your home.
Does the City of Fort Lauderdale get a flood insurance discount? Yes. FEMA rates the City of Fort Lauderdale Class 7 in the Community Rating System, worth 15% off NFIP premiums for eligible policies, since October 1, 2020.
Is the Fort Lauderdale discount the same as the rest of Broward County? No. The City of Fort Lauderdale is its own NFIP community with its own class. Other Broward cities and unincorporated Broward have their own.
How long is the wait for a new flood policy in Fort Lauderdale? 30 days for a standard NFIP purchase. No wait when the policy is bought as part of getting, refinancing, increasing, extending or renewing a loan on the home. One day when a new flood map just placed the home in a high-risk zone (within 13 months of the map date).
What evacuation zone am I in? Broward uses Plan A and Plan B, not lettered zones. Plan A covers mobile homes, tidal and low-lying areas, and everyone east of the Intracoastal. Plan B adds everyone east of US 1. See the county's evacuation page.
Do I need flood insurance in zone X in Fort Lauderdale? A lender does not have to require it in zone X. Many owners buy it anyway, because rain floods homes outside high-risk zones too.
Explore Broward and Florida flood guides
- Broward County flood insurance: the county numbers, storms and contacts
- City of Miami flood insurance: the big city just south
- Miami-Dade County flood insurance: the county just south
- Florida flood insurance: the state picture
- The 30-day wait and its exceptions
- Flood insurance questions, answered
Sources: OpenFEMA NFIP policies and claims (FEMA, data as of July 4, 2026, split to the City of Fort Lauderdale by Census block group); FEMA NFIP Community Status Book, City of Fort Lauderdale row (read November 4, 2026); Broward County Emergency Management, evacuation, shelter, flood zone map and floodplain contact pages (read July 14, 2026); U.S. Census 2020 and 2024 Gazetteer.
Lender says you need flood insurance? Read what the law requires and what you still choose.
Page data last verified 2026-11-04. Every figure links to the federal or county record it came from.