Buffalo, New York Flood Zones
Buffalo faces flooding from Lake Erie storm surge and wind-driven seiche events, as well as Niagara River and Buffalo Creek flooding. Ice jams and heavy snowfall followed by rapid thaw create additional flood hazards.
Common Flood Zones in Buffalo
Properties in Buffalo, NY are commonly designated in these FEMA flood zones:
Check Your Buffalo Address
Enter any Buffalo, NY address to instantly see its FEMA flood zone, risk level, and whether flood insurance is required.
Free Flood Zone LookupWhat Your Flood Zone Means in Buffalo
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to every property in the United States based on flood risk assessments. In Buffalo, the most common designations are Zone AE, Zone X.
Properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) - zones starting with A or V - are required to carry flood insurance if they have a federally-backed mortgage. Properties in Zone X are outside the SFHA and flood insurance is typically optional but often recommended.
Flood zone designations can change over time through Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letters of Map Revision (LOMR). Use our free lookup tool to check the current flood zone for any Buffalo address.