In the Houston area, the flood question belongs on every home tour. Here is how to read flood zones, what Texas sellers must tell you, how flood insurance works, and the free tools you can use to check any address in Houston, Pearland, Pasadena or Clear Lake.

Why It Matters Here

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dropped more than 50 inches of rain in parts of the area, with the highest total, 56 inches, measured near Friendswood. Pearland-area gauges recorded about 32 to 34 inches. Harris County reported more than 150,000 homes flooded, and a little less than half of them were outside the mapped 100- and 500-year floodplains. A good flood zone does not mean zero risk.

FEMA Flood Zones in Plain English

  • Zone A or AE (the "100-year floodplain"): a 1% chance of flooding in any given year. This is FEMA's high-risk area. Over a 30-year mortgage, that adds up to roughly a 1 in 4 chance of at least one flood.
  • Shaded Zone X (the "500-year floodplain"): moderate risk, between a 1% and 0.2% annual chance.
  • Unshaded Zone X: minimal mapped risk.
  • Floodway: the channel and nearby land that carries floodwater. Building and remodeling are tightly restricted there.

Houston-area maps are being updated. NOAA's Atlas 14 rainfall study raised the 100-year, 24-hour storm in much of Harris County from about 13 to 17 inches, and Harris County's new MAAPnext maps use those higher numbers. Draft data went to local officials in 2026. Official approval is projected for about 2028, and the drafts do not change insurance requirements yet.

What Texas Sellers Must Disclose

The Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice asks whether the home:

  • Is in a 100-year or 500-year floodplain, a floodway, a flood pool or a reservoir
  • Has flood insurance now
  • Has had water enter the structure from a natural flood or a reservoir release
  • Has had a flood insurance claim, or received FEMA or SBA flood assistance

Read these answers carefully and ask follow-up questions. Renters are protected too: since 2022, Texas landlords must disclose whether a home is in a 100-year floodplain and whether it flooded in the past five years.

How Flood Insurance Works

  • Homeowners insurance does not cover flooding. Flood is a separate policy.
  • Required in high-risk zones: if the home is in Zone A or AE and you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender will require flood insurance.
  • NFIP limits: the National Flood Insurance Program covers up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents. Private flood policies are also available, and lenders must accept qualifying private policies.
  • 30-day wait: a new NFIP policy usually has a 30-day waiting period, except when it is bought along with a new mortgage at closing.
  • Pricing: since 2021 and 2022, NFIP premiums use FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0, which prices each home's individual risk. Most annual increases are capped at 18%.
  • Outside the high-risk zone: about one-third of NFIP claims from 2013 to 2023 came from outside high-risk areas, and policies there are often affordable. Get a quote either way.
  • Check the program's status: the NFIP is currently authorized through December 11, 2026. If Congress lets it lapse, new policies cannot be written, which can delay closings in flood zones.

Free Tools to Check Any Address

Our Checklist for Buyers

  1. Look up the flood zone before you tour.
  2. Read the seller's flood disclosure answers before you make an offer.
  3. Ask for an elevation certificate if one exists.
  4. Get a flood insurance quote during your option period, even outside Zone A or AE.
  5. Drive the street after a heavy rain if you can.

We walk through all of this with our buyers in Pearland, Pasadena, Clear Lake, southeast Houston and beyond. Contact us or call 713-996-9755.

Sources: National Weather Service, Hurricane Harvey; FEMA flood zones; FloodSmart; Texas Property Code sections 5.008 and 92.0135; MAAPnext. General information only, not insurance or legal advice.