Type any address in East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston or the surrounding parishes to see its FEMA flood zone, what that zone means for insurance and your mortgage, and the questions to ask before you buy.
| Zone | Risk | Flood insurance with a mortgage | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, AE, AH, AO | High (1% chance each year) | Required for federally backed or regulated loans | Budget for a flood policy, ask for the elevation certificate, and check whether the home sits above the base flood elevation. |
| AE Floodway | Highest | Required | The channel that carries floodwater. Additions and rebuilding face tight limits, so talk to the parish floodplain office first. |
| Shaded X (0.2%) | Moderate | Usually not required | Often cheaper to insure, and many homes that flooded in 2016 were in this zone. Still worth a policy. |
| Zone X behind a levee | Moderate | Usually not required | Much of the Baton Rouge area is mapped this way. A levee lowers the risk of river flooding, but it doesn't stop flooding from heavy rain. FEMA recommends coverage here. |
| Unshaded X | Minimal | Not required | Lowest mapped risk. It isn't zero risk: heavy rain and drainage problems flood homes outside the high-risk zones too. |
| D | Undetermined | Depends on the lender | Not studied by FEMA. Ask the lender and an insurance agent before you write an offer. |
A flood zone is a starting point, not the whole story. Here's the four-step check we run on every home our buyers seriously consider.
Look the address up here, then confirm it on LSU's FloodMaps or FEMA's Map Service Center. Your lender will order its own official determination.
Louisiana sellers disclose known flooding and flood claims. Ask directly whether the home took water in August 2016 or since.
Under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0, premiums depend on the specific home, not just the zone. Get a quote during your inspection period, not at closing.
If the home is in an A zone, its elevation compared with the base flood elevation is the biggest driver of risk and of your premium.
No. This map shows FEMA's effective flood hazard data for a point on the map, which is the same data the official maps use. A lender relies on a formal flood zone determination, and FEMA's Map Service Center has the official FIRM panels. Use this tool to screen homes before you fall in love with one.
A lender won't require it, but it's often worth having. Policies in moderate and minimal risk zones usually cost far less, and many Baton Rouge-area homes that flooded in 2016 sat outside the high-risk zones.
Flood maps get updated, and parishes adopt new maps over time. If a home was "mapped in" or "mapped out" of a high-risk zone, LSU AgCenter has free guides on what that change means for insurance and building.
Yes. Send us the address and we'll pull the flood zone, ask the listing agent about flood history and claims, and point you to an insurance agent for a quote before you make an offer.
Brian and Janelle check flood zone, flood history and insurance before our buyers write an offer, so there are no surprises at closing.
Flood zone data: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. Address search: Esri. Map imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics. This tool is for general information and is not an official flood zone determination, an insurance quote or legal advice.