Learn about what’s new in the latest Flood Factor update.

Quarterly Data Updates

We are committed to the accuracy of our data and will continue to grow, adapt, and change our Flood Model as we learn new and better information. As such, improvements to our Flood Model are included in quarterly data updates. Sign up for our newsletter to learn about updates as they become available by clicking or tapping here. 

September 16, 2020

• • Added 2 million new properties on Flood Factor.
  • Updated Flood Factor scores for some properties based on new and improved data on their flood risk.
  • Made additional coastal cities and counties with cleaner coastal flood layer visuals available.
  • Removed areas that are currently under review based on new and improved flood risk data.

Oct 30, 2020

• • Improved our Flood Model by determining a property’s Flood Factor is most accurate when calculated based on the building’s footprint, or outline. As a result the center of map pins have been moved from the center of a property to the building footprint.
  • Added new property addresses via Mapbox in order to provide Flood Factors for as many properties as possible.
  • Widened the boundary for coastal properties in order to fully capture all possible flood risk scenarios for these areas.
  • Adjusted Flood Factor for properties in South East Florida in to reflect all flood risks scenarios a property faces.
  • Updated 2035 map flood layers for some areas.

January 18, 2021

• • Updated Flood Factors that better represent wetland conditions and incorporate the latest geographic data.
  • Improved the accuracy and extents of flooding for several historic flood events, including Hurricane Katrina.
  • Analyzed and added millions of new properties to Flood Factor with improved statistical methods and issues identified by users.
  • Updated FEMA designations to reflect LOMAs and LOMCs submitted by users in addition to more accurate FEMA zone data obtained from FEMA.

February 22, 2021

• • Added annual flood damage estimates for residential properties at risk 
  • Added total annual flood damage estimates for neighborhoods, zip codes, cities, and Counties

April 23, 2021

• • Updated building characteristics (# of stories, units, basements, ground floor elevation, ect) in some areas to more accurately reflect current findings which improved accuracy for default annual loss calculations for those properties.
  • Updated property FEMA zones based on user-provided documentation
  • Expanded historic flood event methodologies to improve accuracy of 3 historic hurricanes (Harvey, Florence, and Matthew). The updated models now include additional flooding caused by rainfall.
  • Incorporated new high-resolution LiDAR elevation data provided by local officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area
  • Updated statistics for 1,600 previously unavailable properties in Georgia

Site Improvements

Ongoing site enhancements aim to provide our users with the best experience possible on floodfactor.com.

August 24, 2020

• • Added the 5% likelihood of a property flooding to the flood risk explorer.
  • Improved address search function on Flood Factor.

Sep 16, 2020

• • Added local Flood Factor score maps on property pages.
  • Made copy updates in partnership with The Association of State Floodplain Management.

October 30, 2020

• • Updated address information in order to improve the search experience.
  • Updated map pins to be shown on top of building outlines (when possible).
  • Added new and updated coastal cities and counties with cleaner coastal flood layer visuals on the Flood risk explorer in 2035 for properties in southeastern Florida.

November 13, 2020

• • Added a pin on score maps so users can easily identify their property at any zoom level.
  • Optimized Flood Factor’s load time for an even faster experience.
  • Updated some coastal areas to include 50% probability. 

December 3, 2020

• • Included a zoom bar for the score map to allow users to view Flood Factors on a neighborhood and city level. 
  • Improved the Flood Factor experience on mobile devices. 

January 18, 2021

• • Enhanced maps on desktop to expand for a fully immersive experience.

February 22, 2021

• • Added the average annual cost of all potential flood damages this year and 30 years from now, based on a property's flood projections as well as the accumulation of those expected costs over time.
  • Included the “adjust building details” tool in order for users to change the various inputs, such as the estimated value of a home, presence of a basement, number of stories, and ground floor elevation, to see how these factors affect the costs associated with flood damage
  • Added the total annual flood damage estimates this year, and in 30 years to neighborhood, zip code, city, county, and state pages

March 19, 2021

• • Improved site and search speeds across Flood Factor. 
  • Added new videos explaining Flood Factor fundamentals and the differences between Flood Factor and FEMA. 
  • Modified the content on locality pages to highlight the percent of properties at risk of flooding.

Learn more

The data behind Flood Factor