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Flood Zone AR: What It Means and Whether You Need Flood Insurance

Updated October 2026 · FEMA definitions and NFIP claims for Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas

What Zone AR means

Zone AR marks land that a flood-control system — typically a levee — used to protect, but which no longer meets FEMA standards and is being restored. Until the work is done, the land is mapped as a Special Flood Hazard Area.

AR is rare; dual zones such as AR/AE also appear where the underlying risk would be high even with the levee.

Flood claims from Zone AR buildings

In FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program claims for Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas, 1 claims (0% of claims with a recorded zone) came from buildings rated in Zone AR, with $136K paid since 2016. 1 of them were for floods in 2015 or later. The typical (median) paid claim was $136K.

Counties with the most Zone AR claims:

• Montgomery County, TX — 1 claims, $136K paid

The zone is the one the building was rated in when the claim was paid; maps change over time.

Building rules in Zone AR

Requirements are lighter than in AE for most areas while restoration is under way, but depend on the dual zone and local rules.

Flood insurance in Zone AR

Yes, for most buyers. Zone AR is a Special Flood Hazard Area, so a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender — including FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans — requires flood insurance on the building.

Since FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 took effect in 2021–2022, NFIP premiums are priced for each building — elevation, distance to water, rebuilding cost and past claims — rather than by zone alone. The zone still decides whether insurance is mandatory. NFIP covers up to $250,000 for a home and $100,000 for contents, and new policies usually take 30 days to start, so do not wait for a storm forecast. Lenders must also accept qualifying private flood policies.

If you are buying or own a home in Zone AR

• Check the status and expected completion date of the levee restoration with the local floodplain manager.
• Ask the seller for the flood disclosure and whether the house has ever had a flood claim — many states require it.
• Check the flood claim history for the ZIP code and county, not only the zone.

Check an address or ZIP code

Our free flood check shows FEMA’s flood zone for an address and how many flood claims were paid nearby. Or search a county or ZIP:

Common questions

Other flood zones

• Zone AE — High risk, with a mapped base flood elevation (BFE).
• Zone A — High risk, mapped by approximate methods — no BFE on the map.
• Zone A1–A30 — The older name for AE: high risk, with a BFE.
• Zone AH — High risk of shallow ponding, usually 1–3 ft, with a BFE.
• Zone AO — High risk of shallow sheet flow on slopes, usually 1–3 ft deep.
• Zone A99 — High risk, to be protected by a federal flood-control system still being built.
• Zone VE — Coastal high risk with storm waves of 3 ft or more; BFE on the map.
• Zone X — Outside the high-risk floodplain. Shaded X is moderate risk; unshaded X is minimal.
• All FEMA flood zones explained

General information, not insurance, legal or real-estate advice. Sources: FEMA flood zone definitions and the NFIP Redacted Claims data set. Confirm the zone for a specific property with FEMA or your local floodplain manager.