Flood zone lookup tool
This page describes the tool on the home page. It is not a separate tool, and it is not an official flood determination.
Method
Search an address, or drop a pin on the map. The tool queries FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, ArcGIS MapServer, layer 28, Flood Hazard Zones, for that point, and returns FLD_ZONE, SFHA_TF, and DFIRM_ID. The DFIRM_ID is shown truncated, for example 45035C, so the label on this site is FEMA ID, never a full panel number. No effective date is returned by that query, so none is published.
Coverage and limits
The result is for the searched point only, not a claim about the whole lot. Where FEMA's map returns no zone for a point, the site says No zone returned, and that is not a no-risk finding. It can happen where an area is not yet mapped in that layer or falls outside mapped coverage. The official record is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or a licensed surveyor's elevation certificate.
Sample output, real examples
Example 1, a Summerville point: Zone X, outside the high-risk area, SFHA F, FEMA ID 45035C, verified snapshot. Example 2, a high-risk point near Sawmill Branch: Zone AE, high-risk, a lender may require flood insurance, get a quote to confirm it. These are examples of the format, not a claim about any other lot.