Check the FEMA flood map before buying property near Elm Creek

Dry-looking Elm Creek can still carry fast water after heavy rain. FEMA maps high-risk flood areas. Its viewer is a first check, not a boundary survey.

A lender will generally require flood insurance when a building in one of those areas backs a federally regulated or insured loan. Raw land, another loan, or a building outside the mapped area may be treated differently. Check the effective map. Then confirm the building with the lender, a surveyor, or the local floodplain office.