Flood Zone: "X"

What does this flood zone code mean?

The reason I'm asking is that we received notice from an insurance provider that flood insurance is in place on a particular property, however our life of loan determination from 2008 states that flood insurance is not required for the property. Maybe this borrower has put flood insurance in place, even though its not required by law....simply as a precautionary measure?

Flood hazard areas identified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map are identified as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). SFHA are defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 1-percent annual chance flood is also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood. SFHAs are labeled as Zone A, Zone AO, Zone AH, Zones A1-A30, Zone AE, Zone A99, Zone AR, Zone AR/AE, Zone AR/AO, Zone AR/A1-A30, Zone AR/A, Zone V, Zone VE, and Zones V1-V30. Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone B or Zone X (shaded) are also shown on the FIRM, and are the areas between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. The areas of minimal flood hazard, which are the areas outside the SFHA and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood, are labeled Zone C or Zone X (unshaded).

(emphasis mine)


From fema.gov

Insurance is not requried; we have several borrowers with flood, even though it is not mandatory. It's their choice, just like earthquake insurance.

I'm in Zone X and you can bet your bottom dollar that I have the maximum flood insurance available considering my location. We came within 2 feet of flooding in Hurricane Ike...... It is cheap insurance as far as I am concerned. About 1/20th of our windstorm premium.