Does Bellwood flood?
Bellwood, Mobile, AL · ZIP code 36618: the ZIP code on 18 of the 18 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Bellwood have filed flood claims. About 6.9% of Bellwood’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 18 claims from the Census block groups that cover Bellwood, from 1978 through 2014. 14 of them received a payment, totaling $126,013 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 1979 (10 claims), 1998 (2 claims), 1980 (2 claims).
What this page counts as Bellwood
We could not find an openly licensed official boundary for Bellwood, so this page uses a census-based area. For this page, Bellwood means the 2010 Census block groups whose center lies within 1.6 km (1.0 miles) of the U.S. Geological Survey (GNIS) map point for Bellwood (feature 143140), each block group going to the nearest of the places we cover. Every number below is for exactly those block groups (listed in “How these numbers were made”), so the edges are approximate and may include or leave out a few blocks people would call Bellwood. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
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 and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Bellwood
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Bellwood
The named streets in Bellwood, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Bellwood lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Bellwood; 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. 30 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moffett Rd | 2.7 mi | 1.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (95%) |
| University Blvd | 4,350 ft | 3.2% | X (unshaded, minimal) (91%) |
| Forest Hill Dr | 4,050 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Tulane Dr | 3,390 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Druid Dr | 3,090 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Forest Dale Dr | 3,090 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Princeton Dr | 2,940 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Garland Dr | 2,850 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Overlook Rd | 2,760 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Oxford Dr | 2,600 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Stevens Ln | 2,400 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Peabody Dr | 2,290 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Forest Dell Rd | 1,950 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| W Carre Dr | 1,920 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Carre Dr E | 1,810 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| S Auburn Dr | 1,750 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Joyce Rd | 1,600 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| S Druid Dr | 1,420 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Forest Cove Dr | 1,380 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Alicia Dr | 1,380 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Auburn Dr | 1,370 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Benson Dr | 1,250 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Marietta Dr | 1,240 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Janice Dr | 1,240 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Oak Lane Dr | 1,220 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (98%) |
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 25, 2026. Each street is clipped to the area boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Bellwood
Share of Bellwood’s mapped area (about 3.408 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (01097C0531L, 01097C0532L, 01097C0533L, 01097C0534L, 01097C0553L): June 5, 2020.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 92% |
| AE | 6.9% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 1.1% |
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 Bellwood. This area is made of whole block groups, so every claim counted here comes from inside it. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11 | $110,271 |
| 1980s | 4 | $13,357 |
| 1990s | 2 | $2,385 |
| 2010s | 1 | $0 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Hurricane Frederic: 9 claims
- Flooding: 4 claims
- Not a named storm: 1 claims
- Mid-spring storms: 1 claims
- Hurricane Elena: 1 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 7
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 6
- V/VE (coastal high hazard): 5
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Before you rent or buy in Bellwood
- 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.
Living in Bellwood
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Bellwood with other Mobile neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Mobile on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Bellwood flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Bellwood have filed flood claims. About 6.9% of Bellwood’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 18 claims from the Census block groups that cover Bellwood, from 1978 through 2014. 14 of them received a payment, totaling $126,013 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 1979 (10 claims), 1998 (2 claims), 1980 (2 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Bellwood in a flood zone?
About 6.9% of Bellwood’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. Shares by zone: X (unshaded, minimal) 92%; AE 6.9%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 1.1%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect June 5, 2020.
Which streets in Bellwood are in a high-risk flood zone?
No street listed here has most of its length in FEMA high-risk zones. Less than 10% of Moffett Rd, University Blvd, Forest Hill Dr, Tulane Dr, Druid Dr, Forest Dale Dr, Princeton Dr and Garland Dr does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Bellwood in?
Bellwood is in Mobile, AL. ZIP code 36618: the ZIP code on 18 of the 18 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.
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
- Forest Hill
- Does Pine Grove flood?
- Does Crichton flood?
- Does Deerwood flood?
- Does Spring Hill flood?
- Does Country Club Village flood?
How these numbers were made
Area: the census-based definition above, using U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names. Flood zone shares: the area polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved October 25, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Mobile County (county code 01097), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved October 25, 2026. Claims are counted for exactly the block groups that make up the area. Block groups used: 010970034061. 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 25, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on October 25, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
- 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.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and October 25, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated October 25, 2026.