Look up your flood zone before buying property near the Red River or Sulphur River

The Red River forms Bowie County's northern border with Oklahoma and Arkansas, and the Sulphur River cuts across the southern part of the county before feeding into Wright Patman Lake. Both rivers have documented flood plains. Property inside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone A or AE) faces real flood risk, and if you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender is required to make you buy flood insurance.

Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Flood insurance is a separate policy available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or certain private insurers. Premiums depend on your structure's elevation relative to the base flood elevation shown on the FEMA map.

Look up any address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov. Enter the property address and the tool shows the current flood zone designation. The Texas Flood Information Viewer at map.texasflood.org is another free resource. If you are buying rural land near either river, check the map before you close.