Data Included in API Response
The following fields are returned by the National Flood Data API. Fields are grouped by category and represent normalized flood risk attributes used in underwriting and property risk analysis.
This page provides a human-readable overview of the fields returned by the National Flood Data API. For full technical documentation, request structure, and integration details, see the API Documentation page.
The National Flood Data API returns the complete flood data for an entire property parcel based on the address provided.
All flood polygons that the parcel intersects are returned as a list ordered by flood risk severity. For example, if half a parcel is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and half is not, the list contains both zones ordered accordingly.
| Field | JSON Key | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood Zone (e.g. A, V, X etc) | s_fld_haz_ar -> fld_zone | string | FEMA flood zone designation of the property based on FEMA National Flood Insurance Program maps. |
| Flood Zone Subtype | s_fld_haz_ar -> zone_subty | string | Flood zone subtype that can take 30 different values and distinguishes between 100 and 500 year flood plains. |
| Special Flood Hazard Area (T/F) | s_fld_haz_ar -> sfha_tf | string (Y/N) | True or False value that states whether or not the location is in a Special Flood Hazard Area. |
| DFIRM ID (Generally the County FIPS Code) | s_fld_haz_ar -> dfirm_id | string | The Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map ID, which is generally the county FIPS identifier. |
| Polygon IDs | s_fld_haz_ar -> fld_ar_id | string | Unique identifier for the flood polygons. |
| Version ID | s_fld_haz_ar -> version_id | string | ID of the specific NFIP guidelines according to which the flood zone was determined. |
| Panel Number | s_firm_pan -> firm_pan | string | Panel within the NFIP map that contains the location. |
| Panel Type | s_firm_pan -> panel_typ | string | States the geographic applicability of the panel, i.e. County or Community. |
| Effective Date | s_firm_pan -> eff_date | string (YYYY-MM-DD) | Date on which the panel became effective. |
| Community Name | s_firm_pan -> comm_name | string | Name of the Community, general the county or town name. |
| Community Participation | s_pol_ar -> community -> comm_part | boolean | Whether or not the community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. |
| Community ID | s_pol_ar -> cid | integer | Unique Community ID number. |
| Tribal Status in NFIP Community Status Book | s_pol_ar -> community -> tribal | string (Yes/No) | Whether or not the community is governed by a tribal government rather than county or township. |
| Date of First Flood Hazard Boundary Map | s_pol_ar -> community -> fhbm | string (DDMMYY) | Date on which the first National Flood Insurance Plan map was made available for the region. |
| Field | JSON Key | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation of property | elevation -> propertyelevation | numeric | Elevation at the center of the property in feet as provided by the US Geological Survey. |
| Base Flood Elevation | elevation -> flood.basefloodelevation -> elevation | numeric | Estimated elevation of water in the case of a flood. |
| Base Flood Elevation Type (provided, extrapolated, interpolated) | elevation -> flood.basefloodelevation -> bfe_type | string | How the base flood elevation was determined: provided by FEMA or interpolated or extrapolated from FEMA data. |
| Distance to Base Flood Elevation Polygon | elevation -> flood.basefloodelevation -> distkm | numeric | Distance from the parcel to the nearest base flood elevation polygon provided by FEMA. |
| Vertical Datum | elevation -> flood.basefloodelevation -> v_datum | string | Datum used to determine the base flood elevation. |
| Flood Zone at Base Flood Elevation | elevation -> flood.basefloodelevation -> fld_zone | string | The FEMA flood zone at the location of nearest provided base flood elevation. |
| Base Flood Elevation Source ID | elevation -> flood.basefloodelevation -> bfe_ln_id | string | Unique identifier of the nearest provided base flood elevation polygon. |
The National Flood Data API returns several different types of bodies of water within 25 miles of the parcel. The first is general and includes all bodies of water, while others are specific, such as rivers and areas within a coastal barrier.
Each type of body of water is returned as a list of such bodies of water with fields corresponding to each, such as a list of rivers within 25 miles of the property and the name, distance and nearest points for each of these.
The latitude and longitude of the two closest points within the body of water and the parcel are provided so that underwriters can record these or view these on a digital map.
| Field | JSON Key | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to nearest body of water | waterbody -> distkm | numeric | Distance to each sizeable body of wate within 25 miles, i.e. larger than a pond or stream. |
| Name of nearest body of water | waterbody -> name | string | Name of each body of water within 25 miles. |
| Location of Nearest Point within Nearest Body of Water | waterbody -> closestpoint.lat, closestpoint.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the body of water closest to the parcel. |
| Location of Point with Property closest to Nearest Body of Water | waterbody -> closestpoint_property.lat,closestpoint_property.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the parcel of water closest to the body of water. |
| Distance to Nearest River | river -> distkm | numeric | Distance to rivers within 25 miles of the parcel. |
| Name of Nearest River | river -> name | string | Name of the river. |
| Location of Nearest Point within Nearest River | river -> closestpoint.lat, closestpoint.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the river closest to the parcel. |
| Location of Point with Property Closest to Nearest River | river -> closestpoint_property.lat,closestpoint_property.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the parcel closest to the river. |
| Distance to Coastline | coastline -> distkm | numeric | Distance to nearest coastline if less than 25 miles. |
| Location of Nearest Point on Coastline | coastline -> closestpoint.lat, closestpoint.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the coastline closest to the parcel. |
| Location of Point with Property Closest to Coastal Body of Water | waterbody_coastal -> closestpoint_property.lat,closestpoint_property.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the parcel of closest to the coastal body of water. |
| Distance to Nearest Coastal Bodies of Water (e.g. a bay or intracoastal waterway) | waterbody_coastal -> distkm | numeric | Distance to coastal bodies of water less than 25 miles. |
| Name of Nearest Coastal Body of Water | waterbody_coastal -> name | string | Name of coastal body of water. |
| Location of nearest point within Coastal Body of Water | waterbody_coastal -> closestpoint.lat, closestpoint.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the coastal body of water closest to the parcel. |
| Location of Point with Property Closest to Coastal Body of Water | waterbody_coastal -> closestpoint_property.lat,closestpoint_property.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the parcel of closest to the coastal body of water. |
| Distance to Coastal Barriers | coastalbarrier -> distkm | numeric | Distance to coastal barriers less than 25 miles. |
| Name of Nearest Coastal Barrier | coastalbarrier -> name | string | Name of coastal barrier. |
| Coastal Barrier Resources System Type | coastalbarrier -> cbrs_type | string | Type of barrier in the Coastal Barrier Resources System. |
| Flood Insurance Date | coastalbarrier -> fi_date | string | Flood Insurance Date within the Coastal Barrier Resources System. |
| System Unit Date | coastalbarrier -> su_date | string | System Unit Date within the Coastal Barrier Resources System. |
| Location of Nearest Point within Nearest Coastal Barrier | coastalbarrier -> closestpoint.lat, closestpoint.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the coastal barrier closest to the parcel. |
| Location of Point with Property Closest to Coastal Barrier | coastalbarrier -> closestpoint_property.lat,closestpoint_property.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the parcel of closest to the coastal barrier. |
| Distance to Coastal Barrier Buffers | coastalbarrier_buffer -> distkm | numeric | Distance to coastal barrier buffers less than 25 miles. |
| Location of Nearest Point within Nearest Coastal Barrier Buffer | coastalbarrier_buffer -> closestpoint.lat, closestpoint.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the coastal barrier buffer closest to the parcel. |
| Location of Nearest Point within Nearest Coastal Barrier Buffer | coastalbarrier_buffer -> closestpoint_property.lat,closestpoint_property.lng | numeric | Latitude and longitude of the point within the parcel of closest to the coastal barrier buffer. |
Storm Surge maps are developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The maps model expected water levels in the event of storms of Categories 1-5. The maps are applicable for the East Coast and Gulf Coast and extend generally at most several miles inland.
| Field | JSON Key | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Surge Expected Flood Height for Category 1 Storm | stormsurge -> 1 | numeric | Estimated height of water in the even of a Category 1 storm. |
| Storm Surge Expected Flood Height for Category 2 Storm | stormsurge -> 2 | numeric | Estimated height of water in the even of a Category 2 storm. |
| Storm Surge Expected Flood Height for Category 3 Storm | stormsurge -> 3 | numeric | Estimated height of water in the even of a Category 3 storm. |
| Storm Surge Expected Flood Height for Category 4 Storm | stormsurge -> 4 | numeric | Estimated height of water in the even of a Category 4 storm. |
| Storm Surge Expected Flood Height for Category 5 Storm | stormsurge -> 5 | numeric | Estimated height of water in the even of a Category 5 storm. |
Letters of Map Amendment are small exceptions to the flood zone defined by the National Flood Insurance Plan. They often except a property or set of adjacent properties from a region otherwise determined to be a Special Flood Hazard Area.
| Field | JSON Key | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOMA Case Number | casenumber | string | Case number of the the LOMA. |
| LOMA Date Ended | dateended | string (YYYY-MM-DD) | Date of LOMA determination. |
| LOMA Determination | determinat | string | Format of determination, generally determination letter. |
| LOMA Distance | miles | numeric | Distance from the property to the center of the region for which the LOMA applies. |
| LOMA PDF Link | pdfhyperli | string | URL link to the pdf of the LOMA determination. |
| LOMA project category | projectcat | string | Category of amendment, e.g. based on natural ground, fill, floodway or coastal high-hazard area. |
| LOMA project name | projectnam | string | Name of LOMA project, generally the specific address or description of the small region. |
| LOMA status | status | string | Status of the LOMA (either Completed or null). |
| LOMA latitute | lat | numeric | Latitude of center of region for which the LOMA applies. |
| LOMA Longitude | lon | numeric | Longitude of center of region for which the LOMA applies. |
Parcel and property data are essential for underwriting and getting quotes from carriers. The physical property data, such as viewing the boundary of the property and the building footprint overlaid with flood zone polygons are essential for underwriting.
The year built, square footage and whether or not the property is owner-occupied are generally required when requesting quotes from carriers.
| Field | JSON Key | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parcel Identification Number | parcel_id | string | Unique county identifier for the parcel. |
| Address Number | addr_number | numeric | Street number of the parcel. |
| Address Street Name | addr_street_name | string | Street name of the parcel. |
| Address Street Type | add_street_type | string | Street type of the parcel, e.g. Road, Avenue |
| Address City | add_city | string | City name of the parcel. |
| State | state_abbr | string | State abbreviation of the parcel. |
| Address ZIP Code | addr_zip | string | Zip code of the parcel. |
| Address Zip Plus Four | add_zipplusfour | string | Zip code with four digit extension of the parcel. |
| Owner | owner | string | Name of the parcel owner. |
| Mailing Address Number | mail_addressnumber | string | Street number of the owner's mailing address. |
| Mailing Address Street Name | mail_streetname | string | Street name of the owner's mailing address. |
| Mailing Address Street Type | mail_streetnameposttype | string | Street type of the owner's mailing address. |
| Mailing Address City | mail_placename | string | City name of the owner's mailing address. |
| Mailing Address State | mail_statename | string | State abbreviation of the owner's mailing address. |
| Mailing Address Zip Code | mail_zipcode | string | Zip code of the owner's mailing address. |
| Market Value Land | mkt_val_land | numeric | County assessed market value of the parcel land. |
| Market Value Building | mkt_val_bldg | numeric | County assessed market value of the buildings on the parcel. |
| Market Value Total | mkt_val_tot | numeric | County assessed total value of the land and buildings on the parcel. |
| Year Built | year_built | integer | Year in which the primary building on the parcel was built. |
| Acreage | acreage | numeric | Area of the parcel in acres. |
| Owner Occupied | owner_occupied | boolean | Whether or not the building is occupied by the owner (true/false) |
| Number of Buildings | buildings | integer | Number of free standing buildings on the parcel. |
| Land Cover | land_cover: has multiple subfields | string | Type and acreage of crop cover based on USDA Land Cover Data Layer |
| Crop Cover | crop_cover: has multiple subfields | string | Type and acreage of crop cover based on USDA Cropland Data Layer |
| Building Polygons | buildings_poly (geojson) | GeoJSON | Building polygons in geojson format. |
| Flood Zones Interstecting Building Polygons | s_fld_haz_ar (array) | array | Flood zone and related data for FEMA NFIP polygons intersecting the building polygons. |
| Parcel Geometry | geom_as_geojson | GeoJSON | Polygon of the parcel in geojson format. |