Boston, MA Home InsuranceHome insurance in Boston, MA
Boston has shallow-flooding zones that are rated differently from the rest. Here's what to check.
Flood risk in Boston
Flooding is not covered by a standard homeowners policy anywhere in the country — it is a separate policy. Whether you are required to carry it depends on the zone your address falls in.
FEMA's current mapping for the Boston area shows Zone AE, Zone VE, Zone AO alongside Zone X, which is the lower-risk designation.
Boston includes Zone AO. That is shallow sheet flooding — water spreading across the surface rather than a river coming up. It is rated on depth rather than elevation, so the usual advice about elevation certificates does not apply the same way.
Boston is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 10, which earns residents off flood insurance in the high-risk zones. Most homeowners have never heard of this and it applies automatically.
Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NFIP community 250286.