Rochester, New York Flood Zones
Rochester faces flooding from the Genesee River, which flows through downtown, and from Lake Ontario storm surge. Spring snowmelt and heavy rainfall can cause the Genesee River to exceed flood stage.
Common Flood Zones in Rochester
Properties in Rochester, NY are commonly designated in these FEMA flood zones:
Check Your Rochester Address
Enter any Rochester, 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 Rochester
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to every property in the United States based on flood risk assessments. In Rochester, 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 Rochester address.