How it works
How to read a FloodMaps report.
A walkthrough of a real report, card by card: the risk level, the draft map, your floor against the flood line, past storms, insurance cost, FloodMaps AI, and Monitor alerts, plus what's different in Florida.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump the video there.
0:00 What a FloodMaps report shows
If you're buying, renting, or living in a house, odds are you don't know if it floods.
This is a full FloodMaps report for a real Houston home, with every section open.
0:12 Free search vs. the full report
Searching is free, with no sign-up.
You get the FEMA zone, the risk level, your floor against the flood line, and which storms flooded nearby.
A full report is $7, or $19 for 90 days of unlimited reports.
It adds the draft map, insurance costs, storm history at the house, ground data, AI answers, and Monitor.
0:37 Overview: the risk level and key facts
This home is rated Severe, and it's riskier than 95% of Houston-area homes, even though it's in Zone X with the floor 1.4 feet above FEMA's flood line.
The Overview tab puts the zone, insurance, floor height, map, storm timeline, and flood odds on one screen.
If you know your real floor height, update it in Edit home details.
1:05 Risk Analysis: why it's rated Severe
Risk Analysis shows why.
Half the score is the floor against flood levels, and here the floor sits about 2.2 feet below where Harvey's water got.
The FEMA map alone won't show you that.
The next cards rank it against other Houston-area homes and show the chance of a flood while you own it.
The insurance card shows what neighbors actually pay: about $1,226 a year, from 4,154 policies nearby.
1:34 FEMA Zones and the draft flood map
FEMA Zones is where map changes live.
The 2026 county draft moves this home from shaded X to AE, which makes insurance required.
But the typical premium drops about $72, because floor height drives the price more than the zone.
Below that are the flood line and whether you could drop required insurance.
In Florida, the comparison uses FEMA's draft maps where they exist, and an extra card, About this flood map, shows the coastal zone, your CRS discount, and the coastal construction line.
2:11 Elevation and Ground
Elevation and Ground is the hardest data to find.
The side view stacks the floor against three flood levels, the lot map shows a 2024 ground scan, and the sinking card puts the floor 1.1 feet above the flood line by 2036.
Each number is tagged measured, official, or estimate.
In Florida, that card becomes Sinkholes nearby.
2:40 Flood History and Property Info
Flood History is the receipts: an estimate of Harvey's water at this house, Harvey across the neighborhood, how high the bayou peaked in each storm, and 54 street flooding reports within 1,000 feet.
In Florida, history covers every storm, like Helene, from county damage records and claims, with tide levels too.
Property Info rounds it out: the lot, the house, nearby homes, and where every fact comes from.
3:11 Ask FloodMaps AI
Any time you're stuck, ask FloodMaps AI.
It answers from this report, about this exact house.
3:21 FloodMaps Monitor alerts
Buy a report and FloodMaps Monitor watches the home, emailing you about flood warnings, river forecasts, storm surge, FEMA map changes, and appeal windows.
It's included for life, confirmed once a year.
3:35 When to run a report
If you're buying, run it before your option or inspection period ends.
If you own, check the draft map before your renewal.
If you rent, read the history before you sign.
Eight Houston-area counties and all of Florida are live at floodmaps.ai.
See y'all on the high ground.