What does flood zone AE mean?
FEMA's flood map splits land into zones. The high-risk area is every zone whose letter starts with A or V. That land has at least a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year. Zone AE is high-risk land where FEMA has also set a base flood elevation (BFE), the height the water is expected to reach in that flood.
People call that flood the 100-year flood. It does not mean once a century. It is a 1 percent chance every year.
Older maps label the same land A1 to A30. If your survey or an old map says A7 or A12, read it as AE.
What is the base flood elevation in Zone AE?
The base flood elevation is the height FEMA expects floodwater to reach in a flood with a 1 percent chance in any year. In Zone AE it is printed on the flood map. Zone A, the other inland high-risk zone, has no BFE on the map.
The BFE matters for two things:
- Building rules. The county or city floodplain office uses it to set how high a new home, or one being largely rebuilt, must sit.
- Your home's height. An elevation certificate records how high your first floor sits next to the BFE. A licensed land surveyor, engineer or architect fills it out.
Does flood zone AE require flood insurance?
Yes, when the loan is covered by the federal rule. Zone AE is inside the high-risk area. If the home secures a loan from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a loan the federal government backs, the lender must require flood insurance.
If your lender says you need flood insurance, read what to do when your lender requires flood insurance.
Is flood zone AE bad?
AE is not a grade. It means FEMA mapped the land as having at least a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year, and it set a flood height there. That is why the lender rule applies.
What it does not tell you is how your own home sits. Two AE homes can sit at very different heights next to the same flood height. An elevation certificate shows where yours is, and a quote shows what that means for the price.
Buying a house in flood zone AE: what should you check?
Before you sign, three steps help:
- Read the seller's flood disclosure. In Florida, the seller must give you a flood disclosure at or before the time the sales contract is signed. It asks if the seller knows of flooding that damaged the home while they owned it, filed a flood claim, or got help for flood damage.
- Ask the seller for an elevation certificate. If they have one, it can save you a new survey, and you can send it with your application.
- Get a flood quote before you close. The price comes from the home, so a quote on this house tells you more than a neighbor's bill.
What does flood insurance cost in Zone AE?
Same flood zone, very different prices. Under Risk Rating 2.0, the NFIP price comes from the home and its spot: how high the first floor sits, what it would cost to rebuild, how far it is from the water, and how often that spot floods. The AE letter does not set it.
What you can do:
- Send in an elevation certificate. If one shows your first floor sits above the flood height, the price may go down. You do not need one to buy a policy.
- Compare a private quote. Private flood insurers set their own prices.
See what decides your flood insurance price.
Florida counties with Zone AE on the FEMA map
Every one of Florida's 67 counties has Zone AE on its FEMA flood map. For 39 counties the list comes from the county's FEMA Flood Insurance Study, the "Flood Zone Designations by Community" table, which names the zones on the map for every city and the county's unincorporated land. For the other 28, the study has no such table, so the list comes from FEMA's flood map data for the whole county.
| County | FEMA flood study or map in force |
|---|---|
| Alachua County | County-wide flood map, effective September 24, 2021 |
| Baker County | County-wide flood map, effective June 17, 2008 |
| Bay County | 12005CV001C, October 24, 2024 |
| Bradford County | County-wide flood map, effective November 2, 2018 |
| Brevard County | 12009CV001B, January 29, 2021 |
| Broward County | 12011CV001B, July 31, 2024 |
| Calhoun County | 12013CV001B, November 14, 2025 |
| Charlotte County | 12015CV001B, December 15, 2022 |
| Citrus County | 12017CV001B, January 15, 2021 |
| Clay County | County-wide flood map, effective March 17, 2014 |
| Collier County | 12021CV001C, February 8, 2024 |
| Columbia County | County-wide flood map, effective November 2, 2018 |
| DeSoto County | 12027CV000B, October 7, 2021 |
| Dixie County | 12029CV000C, January 18, 2019 |
| Duval County | 12031CV001B, November 2, 2018 |
| Escambia County | 12033CV000B, August 19, 2025 |
| Flagler County | 12035CV001B, June 6, 2018 |
| Franklin County | County-wide flood map, effective October 10, 2024 |
| Gadsden County | County-wide flood map, effective February 4, 2009 |
| Gilchrist County | County-wide flood map, effective January 19, 2018 |
| Glades County | 12043CV000C, March 22, 2022 |
| Gulf County | 12045CV000C, March 9, 2021 |
| Hamilton County | 12047CV000D, April 23, 2025 |
| Hardee County | County-wide flood map, effective November 6, 2013 |
| Hendry County | 12051CV000B, May 15, 2020 |
| Hernando County | 12053CV001B, January 15, 2021 |
| Highlands County | County-wide flood map, effective November 18, 2015 |
| Hillsborough County (map) | 12057CV001C, October 7, 2021 |
| Holmes County | County-wide flood map, effective December 17, 2010 |
| Indian River County | 12061CV001B, January 26, 2023 |
| Jackson County | 12063CV000B, November 14, 2025 |
| Jefferson County | County-wide flood map, effective April 23, 2025 |
| Lafayette County | County-wide flood map, effective October 5, 2017 |
| Lake County | County-wide flood map, effective December 18, 2012 |
| Lee County | 12071CV001C, November 17, 2022 (until March 2, 2027) |
| Leon County | County-wide flood map, effective August 18, 2009 |
| Levy County | 12075CV000D, January 28, 2022 |
| Liberty County | 12077CV000B, August 2, 2022 |
| Madison County | 12079CV000D, April 23, 2025 |
| Manatee County | 12081CV001B |
| Marion County | 12083CV001B, April 19, 2017 |
| Martin County | 12085CV001C, February 19, 2020 |
| Miami-Dade County | County-wide flood map, effective September 11, 2009 |
| Monroe County | County-wide flood map, effective February 18, 2005 |
| Nassau County | County-wide flood map, effective August 2, 2017 |
| Okaloosa County | 12091CV000B, March 9, 2021 |
| Okeechobee County | County-wide flood map, effective July 16, 2015 |
| Orange County | County-wide flood map, effective September 24, 2021 |
| Osceola County | County-wide flood map, effective June 18, 2013 |
| Palm Beach County | 12099CV001B, December 20, 2024 |
| Pasco County | 12101CV001B, June 5, 2020 |
| Pinellas County (map) | 12103CV001D, August 24, 2021 |
| Polk County | County-wide flood map, effective December 22, 2016 |
| Putnam County | County-wide flood map, effective February 2, 2012 |
| Santa Rosa County | 12113CV000B, November 19, 2021 |
| Sarasota County | 12115CV001B, March 27, 2024 |
| Seminole County | County-wide flood map, effective September 28, 2007 |
| St. Johns County | 12109CV001D, December 7, 2018 |
| St. Lucie County | County-wide flood map, effective February 19, 2020 |
| Sumter County | 12119CV001B, June 5, 2020 |
| Suwannee County | County-wide flood map, effective August 28, 2018 |
| Taylor County | 12123CV000B, February 1, 2019 |
| Union County | County-wide flood map, effective November 2, 2018 |
| Volusia County | 12127CV001D, September 29, 2017 |
| Wakulla County | 12129CV000B, August 2, 2022 |
| Walton County | 12131CV000B, December 30, 2020 |
| Washington County | County-wide flood map, effective July 4, 2011 |
Every city, town and unincorporated area with Zone AE, by county
Bay County (8): Unincorporated Bay County, Callaway (city), Lynn Haven (city), Mexico Beach (city), Panama City (city), Panama City Beach (city), Parker (city), Springfield (city).
Brevard County (18): Unincorporated Brevard County, Cape Canaveral (city), Cape Canaveral Port Authority, Cocoa (city), Cocoa Beach (city), Grant-Valkaria (town), Indialantic (town), Indian Harbour Beach (city), Malabar (town), Melbourne (city), Melbourne Beach (town), Melbourne Village (town), Palm Bay (city), Palm Shores (town), Rockledge (city), Satellite Beach (city), Titusville (city), West Melbourne (city).
Broward County (33): Unincorporated Broward County, Coconut Creek (city), Cooper City (city), Coral Springs (city), Dania Beach (city), Davie (town), Deerfield Beach (city), Fort Lauderdale (city), Hallandale Beach (city), Hillsboro Beach (town), Hollywood (city), Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (town), Lauderdale Lakes (city), Lauderhill (city), Lazy Lake (village), Lighthouse Point (city), Margate (city), Miramar (city), North Lauderdale (city), Oakland Park (city), Parkland (city), Pembroke Park (town), Pembroke Pines (city), Plantation (city), Pompano Beach (city), Sea Ranch Lakes (village), Seminole Tribe of Florida, Southwest Ranches (town), Sunrise (city), Tamarac (city), West Park (city), Weston (city), Wilton Manors (city).
Calhoun County (3): Altha (town), Blountstown (city), Unincorporated Calhoun County.
Charlotte County (2): Unincorporated Charlotte County, Punta Gorda (city).
Citrus County (3): Unincorporated Citrus County, Crystal River (city), Inverness (city).
Collier County (5): Unincorporated Collier County, Everglades City (city), Marco Island (city), Naples (city), Seminole Tribe of Florida.
DeSoto County (2): Arcadia (city), Unincorporated DeSoto County.
Dixie County (2): Unincorporated Dixie County, Horseshoe Beach (town).
Duval County (4): Atlantic Beach (city), Jacksonville (city), Jacksonville Beach (city), Neptune Beach (city).
Escambia County (4): Century (town), Unincorporated Escambia County, Pensacola (city), Pensacola Beach - Santa Rosa Island Authority.
Flagler County (6): Beverly Beach (town), Bunnell (city), Flagler Beach (city), Unincorporated Flagler County, Marineland (town), Palm Coast (city).
Glades County (2): Unincorporated Glades County, Moore Haven (city).
Gulf County (3): Unincorporated Gulf County, Port St. Joe (city), Wewahitchka (city).
Hamilton County (3): Unincorporated Hamilton County, Jennings (town), White Springs (town).
Hendry County (3): Clewiston (city), Unincorporated Hendry County, LaBelle (city).
Hernando County (2): Brooksville (city), Unincorporated Hernando County.
Hillsborough County (4): Unincorporated Hillsborough County, Plant City (city), Tampa (city), Temple Terrace (city).
Indian River County (6): Fellsmere (city), Unincorporated Indian River County, Indian River Shores (town), Orchid (town), Sebastian (city), Vero Beach (city).
Jackson County (4): Alford (town), Graceville (city), Unincorporated Jackson County, Marianna (city).
Lee County (7): Bonita Springs (city), Cape Coral (city), Estero (village), Fort Myers (city), Fort Myers Beach (town), Unincorporated Lee County, Sanibel (city).
Levy County (7): Bronson (town), Cedar Key (city), Chiefland (city), Inglis (town), Unincorporated Levy County, Otter Creek (town), Yankeetown (town).
Liberty County (2): Bristol (city), Unincorporated Liberty County.
Madison County (2): Lee (town), Unincorporated Madison County.
Manatee County (7): Anna Maria (city), Bradenton Beach (city), Bradenton (city), Holmes Beach (city), Longboat Key (town), Unincorporated Manatee County, Palmetto (city).
Marion County (5): Belleview (city), Dunnellon (city), Unincorporated Marion County, Ocala (city), McIntosh (town).
Martin County (5): Jupiter Island (town), Unincorporated Martin County, Ocean Breeze (town), Sewall’s Point (town), Stuart (city).
Okaloosa County (9): Cinco Bayou (town), Crestview (city), Destin (city), Fort Walton Beach (city), Mary Esther (city), Niceville (city), Unincorporated Okaloosa County, Shalimar (town), Valparaiso (city).
Palm Beach County (40): Atlantis (city), Belle Glade (city), Boca Raton (city), Boynton Beach (city), Briny Breezes (town), Cloud Lake (town), Delray Beach (city), Glen Ridge (town), Golf (village), Greenacres (city), Gulf Stream (town), Haverhill (town), Highland Beach (town), Hypoluxo (town), Juno Beach (town), Jupiter (town), Jupiter Inlet Colony (town), Lake Clarke Shores (town), Lake Park (town), Lake Worth Beach (city), Lantana (town), Loxahatchee Groves (town), Manalapan (town), Mangonia Park (town), North Palm Beach (village), Ocean Ridge (town), Pahokee (city), Palm Beach (town), Unincorporated Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Gardens (city), Palm Beach Shores (town), Palm Springs (village), Riviera Beach (city), Royal Palm Beach (village), South Bay (city), South Palm Beach (town), Tequesta (village), Wellington (village), West Palm Beach (city), Westlake (city).
Pasco County (7): Dade City (city), New Port Richey (city), Unincorporated Pasco County, Port Richey (city), San Antonio (city), St. Leo (town), Zephyrhills (city).
Pinellas County (25): Belleair (town), Belleair Beach (city), Belleair Bluffs (city), Belleair Shore (town), Clearwater (city), Dunedin (city), Gulfport (city), Indian Rocks Beach (city), Indian Shores (town), Kenneth City (town), Largo (city), Madeira Beach (city), North Redington Beach (town), Oldsmar (city), Unincorporated Pinellas County, Pinellas Park (city), Redington Beach (town), Redington Shores (town), Safety Harbor (city), Seminole (city), South Pasadena (city), St. Pete Beach (city), St. Petersburg (city), Tarpon Springs (city), Treasure Island (city).
Santa Rosa County (3): Gulf Breeze (city), Milton (city), Unincorporated Santa Rosa County.
Sarasota County (5): Longboat Key (town), North Port (city), Unincorporated Sarasota County, Sarasota (city), Venice (city).
St. Johns County (3): St. Augustine (city), St. Augustine Beach (city), Unincorporated St. Johns County.
Sumter County (6): Bushnell (city), Center Hill (city), Coleman (city), Unincorporated Sumter County, Webster (city), Wildwood (city).
Taylor County (2): Perry (city), Unincorporated Taylor County.
Volusia County (15): Daytona Beach Shores (city), Daytona Beach (city), DeBary (city), DeLand (city), Deltona (city), Edgewater (city), Flagler Beach (city), Holly Hill (city), New Smyrna Beach (city), Oak Hill (city), Ormond Beach (city), Ponce Inlet (town), Port Orange (city), South Daytona (city), Unincorporated Volusia County.
Wakulla County (3): Sopchoppy (city), St. Marks (city), Unincorporated Wakulla County.
Walton County (3): DeFuniak Springs (city), Freeport (city), Unincorporated Walton County.
A row marked county-wide comes from FEMA's flood map data for the whole county, because that county's study has no city-by-city zone table. The zone is on the map somewhere in that county, not in every city. Miami-Dade County's row is the map in force today; its new study takes effect February 19, 2027. Lee County's newest study takes effect March 2, 2027, so the Lee row shows the study in force until then.
To compare Zone AE with Zone X and the coastal VE zone, read flood zone X vs AE vs VE. For the land just outside the high-risk area, read flood zone X explained. For the coastal high-risk zone with waves, read flood zone VE explained.
Is your address in Zone AE?
A neighbor's zone or a ZIP code is not enough. What zone is your home in? Check my address and see the FEMA zone for that exact spot.
Questions Florida buyers ask about flood zone AE
What does flood zone AE mean?
Zone AE is high-risk land on FEMA's flood map. It has at least a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year, and FEMA has set a base flood elevation, the height the water is expected to reach.
Does flood zone AE require flood insurance?
Yes, if the loan comes from a federally regulated or insured lender or is federally backed. The lender must require flood insurance on a home in Zone AE.
Is flood zone AE bad?
It means the land has at least a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year, so the federal lender rule applies. It does not set your price. The home's height and spot do. An elevation certificate shows where your home sits.
What is the base flood elevation?
It is the height FEMA expects floodwater to reach in a flood with a 1 percent chance in any year. The county uses it to set how high new or largely rebuilt homes must sit.
How much is flood insurance in zone AE?
There is no single AE price. Under Risk Rating 2.0, the NFIP price comes from the home: first floor height, rebuild cost, distance to water and how often the spot floods.
Sources and dates
- FEMA, Flood Zones (Special Flood Hazard Area; the 1 percent annual chance flood; A1 to A30 and AE). Read October 26, 2026. https://www.fema.gov/flood-zones
- FEMA, NFIP Study Guide, Unit 3 (Zone AE "where base flood elevations are provided"; the base flood elevation). Read October 26, 2026. https://www.fema.gov/pdf/floodplain/nfip_sg_unit_3.pdf
- FEMA, How to read a Flood Insurance Rate Map tutorial, January 2022 (high-risk zones beginning with A or V; the BFE). Read October 26, 2026. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/how-to-read-flood-insurance-rate-map-tutorial.pdf
- FEMA Flood Insurance Studies, Volume 1, "Flood Zone Designations by Community," for each county in the table above (study number and date in the table), from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Read November 4, 2026. https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, county flood map data (flood zone areas on the map in force), for each county marked county-wide in the table above, from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Read November 4, 2026. https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
- 42 U.S.C. 4012a, flood insurance purchase requirement. govinfo.gov, read October 26, 2026. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/4012a
- 12 CFR Part 22, Loans in Areas Having Special Flood Hazards. eCFR, read October 26, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-I/part-22
- FEMA, Understanding Risk Rating 2.0 fact sheet, July 2025 (rating factors). Read October 26, 2026. https://agents.floodsmart.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2025-08/fema-understanding-risk-rating-2.0-fact-sheet-2025.pdf
- FloodSmart, Elevation certificates (not needed to buy a policy; may lower the price; prepared by a land surveyor, engineer or architect). Read October 26, 2026. https://www.floodsmart.gov/get-insured/elevation-certificates
- Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, flood disclosure in the sale of real property (as amended by chapter 2025-166). Read October 26, 2026. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699%2F0689%2FSections%2F0689.302.html
Facts last checked November 4, 2026. Every figure comes from the federal or state source listed above.