Which flood hazard zone is considered a moderate hazard area, with about a 0.2% annual flood chance?

• A. Zone B
• B. Zone X
• C. Zone A
• D. Zone V

Answer: (A)

Moderate flood hazard means a area has about a 0.2% chance of flooding in any given year (roughly a 1 in 500-year event). That level of risk sits between the high-hazard 100-year floodplain and the areas with minimal risk. In Florida’s zone labeling used in many practice materials, this moderate-hazard band is identified as Zone B. Zones with higher risk, like Zone A or Zone V, correspond to the 1% annual chance (the 100-year) floodplain or coastal flood with wave action, where flood insurance requirements are most common. Zone X (the shaded or non-shaded designations) typically represents areas outside the SFHA or with minimal hazard. So the zone that matches a moderate hazard with about a 0.2% annual flood chance is Zone B.