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VE Zone VE

Coastal high-risk zone with wave action and base flood elevations

Where VE sits

Cross-section of a coastal flood zoneDiagram: land rising away from the shore. The 1%-annual-chance flood surface reaches inland; where storm waves ride on top of it the zone is V or VE, behind that AE, then a band of shaded X, then X on higher ground.0.2% CHANCE A YEAR (500-YEAR)BASE FLOOD ELEVATION · 1% A YEARXX shadedAEVE
  1. VE / V Storm waves of 3 feet or more ride on top of the flood. Strictest building rules; homes go up on pilings.
  2. 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.
  3. X shaded The 0.2% (500-year) floodplain, plus some levee-protected and very shallow flood areas.
  4. X Outside both lines. No federal requirement to insure, which is not the same as no risk.

What Is Zone VE?

Zone VE is the highest flood risk designation, reserved for coastal areas subject to storm-driven wave action of 3 feet or more on top of storm surge.

Properties in Zone VE face both inundation from storm surge and destructive wave forces. Building requirements are the most stringent of any flood zone: structures must be elevated on pilings or columns, and the lowest horizontal structural member must be at or above the BFE.

VE zones are found along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, and around the Great Lakes.

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. Coastal buildings in VE zones often face storm surge and waves, which are among the flood types FEMA prices, so premiums there can be high; get a quote.

How the National Flood Insurance Program works →

Base Flood Elevation (BFE)

Yes — BFEs in VE zones include the combined height of storm surge and wave action.

What base flood elevation means and how to read it →

Check Your Property's Flood Zone

Enter your address to see if your property is in Zone VE