Special Flood Hazard Area
Plain-English definition and practical context.
Definition: Special Flood Hazard Area | (SFHA)
pronunciation: speh-shuhl fluhd ha-zerd air-ee-uh
A Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) is a geographic area that has been identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as having a 1 percent annual chance of flooding, commonly referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood.
SFHAs are shown on official Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and include areas subject to flooding from inland waters, coastal storm surge, wave action, mudflows, or flood-related erosion hazards. These areas are designated by specific FEMA flood zones, including A-zones and V-zones.
Properties located within an SFHA are generally subject to mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements when the structure is financed by a federally regulated or insured lender. Floodplain management regulations are also more stringent within these zones to reduce future flood damage.
Sources & Authority
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Special Flood Hazard Area Definitions
Definition and flood zone classifications published by Federal Emergency Management Agency under the National Flood Insurance Program and Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations.