Buffalo, NY Home InsuranceHome insurance in Buffalo, NY
Buffalo has shallow-flooding zones that are rated differently from the rest. Here's what to check.
Flood risk in Buffalo
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 Buffalo area shows Zone AE, Zone VE, Zone AO alongside Zone X, which is the lower-risk designation.
Buffalo 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.
Buffalo takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program but is not in the Community Rating System, so there is no community discount on flood premiums here.
Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NFIP community 360230.