{"id":9866,"date":"2021-09-10T20:37:10","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T20:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=9866"},"modified":"2024-10-08T12:58:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T12:58:11","slug":"proving-you-are-not-in-a-flood-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/09\/proving-you-are-not-in-a-flood-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"Proving You are Not in a Flood Zone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nobody wants to live in a flood zone. Even if you never have a flood, you have to buy flood insurance. It can also make it harder to sell your house and it will probably sell for less.<\/p>\n

Every community has a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), an official map of all of the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.<\/p>\n

\"Surveying
Measuring Flood Elevation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our log cabin is on a higher spot surrounded by flood plain. This was already documented when I bought the cabin. The original map showed the whole area as a flood zone, but the previous owners proved that the cabin and the area around it is higher.<\/p>\n

If your land is above flood level, but the map doesn\u2019t show it, you can get a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). You just present documentation to prove it and apply to FEMA.<\/p>\n

Below is the relevant part of documentation we have.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Flood Insurance Rate Map Amendments<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The LOMRs and LOMAs listed below have not been reflected on the final FIRM. This is either due to scale limitations of the FIRM, or because the LOMR or LOMA issued determined that the lots or structures involved are out of the Special Flood Hazard Area, as shown on the FIRM. These LOMRs and LOMAs will be revalidated free of charge the day after the revised map panels become effective.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ours is the first one there, Lot 321 Druid Hills on flood map panel 9569.<\/p>\n

FEMA gives you a case number. Ours is 06-04-0293A. The Final Soma lists the update by lot number and address. That\u2019s a good thing because 911 readdressed our house, but the lot number is the same.<\/p>\n

Our New Zone is X. Which means not in a flood zone. It means our house is outside of the area that is shaded on the map. We are in an area of minimal flood hazard, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Any areas higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood are labeled Zone C or Zone X.<\/p>\n

Zone X means you are not in the flood zone. You are at a low risk of having your house flood. You don’t have to buy flood insurance unless you want to. And people won’t be afraid to buy your house.<\/p>\n

Here are the documents:<\/p>\n

Henderson County Final Soma, Abbreviated<\/a>
\nHenderson County Final Soma, Complete<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nobody wants to live in a flood zone. Even if you never have a flood, you have to buy flood insurance. It can also make it harder to sell your house and it will probably sell for less. Every community has a Flood Insurance Rate …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[84,72],"class_list":["post-9866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-flood","tag-meadowbrook-log-cabin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/featured-flood-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15067,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-the-classic-manor-new-day-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":9866,"position":0},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. the Classic Manor New Day Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"October 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. We are all fine. I've been asked how our 2-story Home Depot shed we finished did through the storm. (More than anything else) We don't own the log cabin or the building anymore, but I was more worried about the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tuff Shed Summer Wind, Sundance and Classic Manor New Day Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Tuff Shed Summer Wind, Sundance and Classic Manor New Day Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/office\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15066,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-the-log-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":9866,"position":1},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. the Log Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"October 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I lived in Meadowbrook Log Cabin from 2005 until 2022 and there were a few weather events that caused flooding and road closures in Hendersonville. Hurricane Helene flooded areas that are not in a flood zone and didn't flood areas that are in a flood zone. Hurricane Matthew dropped 17\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1488,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/building-a-new-house-can-you-build-in-a-flood-plain\/","url_meta":{"origin":9866,"position":2},"title":"Building a New House \u2013 Can you build in a flood plain?","author":"Carla","date":"September 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Can you build in a flood plain? I am guessing you can, or there would be no houses in Florida. I started doing the research. How flood plain are we? It looks from the survey as if we are only at the edge of the flood plain. We saw the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/featured_image-flood.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/featured_image-flood.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/featured_image-flood.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/featured_image-flood.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/featured_image-flood.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15055,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-how-did-we-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":9866,"position":3},"title":"Hurricane Helene: How Did We Do?","author":"Carla","date":"October 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. There is a LOT of damage which you are seeing on the news. Friends and family have a lot of damage, are still without power and water and may be for a while. It was days before we saw the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15062,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-the-westwood-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":9866,"position":4},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. the Westwood Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"October 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The new Westwood Cabin is not in a flood zone and the area around it did not flood. The cabin got the rain and wind, but we had any trees that might fall on the cabin removed. Water rushed over the driveway, that's it. The little cabin was tight. Nothing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Modular Cabin"","block_context":{"text":"New Modular Cabin","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-cottage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15063,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-our-schumacher-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":9866,"position":5},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. our Schumacher Home","author":"Carla","date":"October 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. The damage has been unbelievable. We knew we were in a flood zone when we built the house, but only by a few inches. We are in a 100-year floodplain. That means there is a 1-in-100 chance of flood in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9866"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9875,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9866\/revisions\/9875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}