How to Check Your Flood Zone Before Buying in Harris County

Enter the address at FEMA's Map Service Center. Then open the current Flood Insurance Rate Map. A Special Flood Hazard Area is the mapped 1 percent floodplain. A federally backed loan on a building there will often require flood insurance.

The Harris County map adds bayous, watersheds, ponding, and local flood areas. It is not the official FEMA map. Flooding can also happen outside a mapped zone. Before closing, ask about past floods and compare both maps. Let the lender or insurer make the official finding.