Flood zones are land areas identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Each flood zone describes that land area in terms of its risk of flooding. Everyone lives in a flood zone–it’s just a question of whether you live in a low, moderate, or high risk area.
Special Flood Hazard Area- the land area covered by the floodwaters of the base flood is the Special Flood Hazard Area on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) maps. The SFHA is the area where the NFIP’s floodplain management regulations must be enforced and the area where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies.