Area where a flood control system is being restored to provide protection
Where AR sits
A / AE Inside the 1%-a-year floodplain: about a 26% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage. AE has a mapped base flood elevation; plain A does not.
Floodway The channel and the land beside it that has to be kept clear enough to carry the flood. Building here is tightly limited.
X shaded The 0.2% (500-year) floodplain, plus some levee-protected and very shallow flood areas.
X Outside both lines. No federal requirement to insure, which is not the same as no risk.
What Is Zone AR?
Zone AR designates areas where a previously accredited flood control system (like a levee) has been decertified and is undergoing restoration. The area was once protected but currently is not.
Until restoration is complete and the system is re-accredited, the area carries a high-risk designation. Some AR zones have dual designations (AR/AE, AR/A, etc.) indicating the underlying risk.
Flood Insurance Requirements
Flood insurance is required if you have a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan such as FHA, VA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Zone AR is a Special Flood Hazard Area.