Flood Zones in Myrtle Beach and Horry County: A Homebuyer Guide

If you are buying a home anywhere on the Grand Strand, the flood zone is one of the first things worth checking. This Homes Myrtle guide explains how flood zones work in Myrtle Beach and the rest of Horry County, where to look a property up, and which questions to bring to a licensed insurance agent.

This guide explains how the system works; it does not quote premiums. Premiums depend on the individual property, so we do not publish them. Every rule below is dated as of October 2026 and comes from FEMA, Horry County, or other official sources.

What a Flood Zone Is

A flood zone is the risk category FEMA assigns to land on its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Lenders, insurers, and local building officials use these maps. The zone is assigned to the land a home sits on, not to the house itself, so two homes on the same street can fall in different zones.

According to FEMA FloodSmart (as of October 2026), the zones you will see most often on the Grand Strand are:

• Zone VE: high-risk coastal areas exposed to wave action, usually the oceanfront.
• Zone AE: high-risk areas, including riverine and back-bay flooding, with a mapped base flood elevation.
• Zone X: moderate-to-minimal risk areas. Moderate-risk X zones are sometimes shown shaded on the map.

You can read FEMA's plain-language definitions on FloodSmart.

How to Look Up a Flood Zone in Horry County

There are two official places to check a specific address. The first is the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective FIRM panel for any address.

The second is Horry County's own GIS flood mapping, found on the county website at horrycountysc.gov under GIS. As of October 2026, it shows both current and preliminary flood maps. Preliminary maps are proposed updates that are not yet in effect, so a property's zone can change once they are adopted. If you see a difference between the current and preliminary maps for a home you are considering, ask the county's floodplain staff and a licensed insurance agent what it means for that address.

Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and the other incorporated towns handle floodplain permitting within their own limits. The planning or building department for the town where the home sits can confirm local elevation rules.

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When Flood Insurance Is Required

If a home sits in a high-risk A or V zone and the loan is federally backed or regulated, the lender will require flood insurance. FEMA states this as of October 2026. Lenders can also require it outside those zones.

Standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood damage. This is the main reason the flood zone matters so much at the offer stage. Flood coverage is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and through private insurers. A licensed insurance agent can compare the options for a specific property.

The 30-Day Flood Insurance Waiting Period

A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase, per FEMA (as of October 2026). There are exceptions. When the policy is bought in connection with making, increasing, or renewing a loan, there is no waiting period. A one-day wait can apply after a flood map revision.

In practice, this means you should bind flood coverage before closing rather than after. If you are buying in hurricane season, do not count on adding coverage after a storm has formed. Your lender and agent can confirm timing for your transaction.

Flood Zones and Hurricane Evacuation Zones Are Different

Your FEMA flood zone and your hurricane evacuation zone are two separate things. Flood zones are FEMA insurance and building-risk maps. Evacuation zones (Zones A, B and C in Horry and Georgetown counties) are set by emergency managers and tell you when to leave during a storm.

You can look up your evacuation zone through SCEMD's Know Your Zone tool or Horry County's Know Your Zone page. A home can sit in Flood Zone X and still be in an evacuation zone.

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Questions to Ask Before You Make an Offer

A few questions early on can save surprises at closing:

• Which FIRM zone and panel apply, and do the preliminary maps change it?
• Is there an elevation certificate for the home? The seller or the local building department may have one.
• Has the property had prior flood claims? The seller and a licensed insurance agent can help you find out.
• What does a licensed insurance agent estimate for flood and wind coverage on this specific address?
• Does the home sit in a lower-lying area near a river, marsh, or the Intracoastal Waterway?

Horry County inland areas along rivers can flood differently from the oceanfront. Our Pros and Cons of Living in Conway and Cost of Living in Myrtle Beach guides cover how that shows up in day-to-day ownership.

Flood Zones by Area on the Grand Strand

Zone patterns differ across the Grand Strand, so check each address rather than relying on a neighborhood. In general, VE zones run along the oceanfront. AE zones appear near marshes, creeks, the Waccamaw and Little Pee Dee rivers, and parts of the Intracoastal Waterway. Many inland subdivisions are mapped X. These are general patterns only. Always confirm the specific address.

If you are comparing towns, our Moving to Myrtle Beach guide and Top 10 Neighborhoods in North Myrtle Beach are good next reads.

Talk to Our Team About Flood Zones

We can pull the flood zone for any home you are considering before you write an offer. We will also point you to licensed insurance agents and the right county office. We do not give insurance advice, but we make sure you know which questions to ask.

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