Does Belle Meade flood?
Belle Meade, Miami, FL · ZIP code 33138: the ZIP code on 144 of the 144 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Belle Meade have filed flood claims. About 91% of Belle Meade’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (high-risk zones such as AE). NFIP flood insurance records list 144 claims from the Census block groups that cover Belle Meade, from 1980 through 2024. 90 of them received a payment, totaling $2,568,516 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2017 (39 claims), 1999 (25 claims), 1992 (14 claims).
Belle Meade is one of the neighborhoods we group as Upper East Side; see that page for the combined flood numbers.
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (or the Miami-Dade County Flood Zone map viewer) and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Belle Meade
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone and the hurricane evacuation zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Belle Meade
The named streets in Belle Meade, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Belle Meade lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Belle Meade; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| NE 72nd Ter | 2,750 ft | 85% | AE (85%) |
| NE 73rd St | 2,740 ft | 87% | AE (87%) |
| NE 74th St | 2,730 ft | 88% | AE (88%) |
| NE 76th St | 2,150 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
| NE 75th St | 2,090 ft | 87% | AE (87%) |
| NE 8th Ave | 1,770 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
| NE 77th St | 1,550 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
| NE 7th Ave | 1,460 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
| NE 6th Ct | 1,460 ft | 54% | AE (54%) |
| Belle Meade Blvd | 1,320 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
| NE 7th Ct | 770 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved October 24, 2026. Each street is clipped to the neighborhood boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Belle Meade
Share of Belle Meade’s mapped area (about 0.422 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Mapped base flood elevations inside the neighborhood range from 8 to 10 feet. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (12086C0306L, 12086C0308L): September 11, 2009.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| AE | 91% |
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 4.7% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 4.6% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover Belle Meade. About 41% of the combined area of those block groups lies inside Belle Meade, so the claim figures also reflect some nearby blocks. Several of these block groups extend over open water of Biscayne Bay, which the Census includes in block-group boundaries; counting land only (Census land and water areas), about 75% lies inside Belle Meade. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | $2,774 |
| 1990s | 55 | $328,371 |
| 2000s | 25 | $302,133 |
| 2010s | 46 | $1,571,411 |
| 2020s | 13 | $363,826 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Hurricane Irma: 38 claims
- Hurricane Irene: 15 claims
- Flooding: 15 claims
- Hurricane Andrew: 13 claims
- Hurricane Wilma: 5 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 138
- V/VE (coastal high hazard): 5
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 1
How much is flood insurance in Belle Meade?
The typical National Flood Insurance Program policy on single-family homes in Belle Meade costs $1,991 a year: the median of 273 policies that started between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $1,460 and $2,772. That is the full amount paid for the year, the premium plus FEMA’s fees and surcharges, and every one of these policies is priced under Risk Rating 2.0. A quote for one building can be far from this: its elevation, foundation, age, coverage and deductible all change the price. Private flood insurance is not included.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies - v3, computed October 24, 2026.
Insurance agency or real estate agent? Sponsor this page.
Before you rent or buy in Belle Meade
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
- Hiring movers? Check the moving company’s federal license and insurance first with the free Miami mover check.
Living in Belle Meade
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. For what day-to-day life in Belle Meade is like, from parks to errands, see Living in Belle Meade, Miami on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Belle Meade flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Belle Meade have filed flood claims. About 91% of Belle Meade’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (high-risk zones such as AE). NFIP flood insurance records list 144 claims from the Census block groups that cover Belle Meade, from 1980 through 2024. 90 of them received a payment, totaling $2,568,516 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2017 (39 claims), 1999 (25 claims), 1992 (14 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Belle Meade in a flood zone?
About 91% of Belle Meade’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (high-risk zones such as AE). Shares by zone: AE 91%; X (unshaded, minimal) 4.7%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 4.6%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect September 11, 2009.
Which streets in Belle Meade are in a high-risk flood zone?
Most of the length of NE 72nd Ter, NE 73rd St, NE 74th St, NE 76th St, NE 75th St, NE 8th Ave, NE 77th St, NE 7th Ave, NE 6th Ct, Belle Meade Blvd and NE 7th Ct lies in FEMA high-risk zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area). Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Belle Meade in?
Belle Meade is in Miami, FL. ZIP code 33138: the ZIP code on 144 of the 144 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
How much is flood insurance in Belle Meade?
The typical NFIP flood insurance policy on single-family homes in Belle Meade cost $1,991 a year: the median of 273 policies that started between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Half cost between $1,460 and $2,772. One building’s quote can be far from this; its elevation, foundation, age, coverage and deductible all change the price.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
- Biscayne Plaza – living in Biscayne Plaza (StrollPlace)
- Belle Meade West – living in Belle Meade West (StrollPlace)
- Does Bayside flood?
- Does Haynesworth flood?
- Belle Island – living in Belle Island (StrollPlace)
- Does Shorecrest flood?
How these numbers were made
Neighborhood boundary: City of Miami, Miami Neighborhoods (ArcGIS feature service). Flood zone shares: the neighborhood polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved October 24, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Miami-Dade County (county code 12086), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved October 24, 2026. A 2010 Census block group is counted for a neighborhood when at least 25% of the block group lies inside the neighborhood, or at least 25% of the neighborhood lies inside the block group. Block groups used: 120860013021 (41.2% of the block group is inside Belle Meade). Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on October 24, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on October 24, 2026.
- City of Miami, Miami Neighborhoods (ArcGIS feature service).
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies - v3.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and October 24, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated October 25, 2026.