Does Tampa Heights flood?
Tampa Heights, Tampa, FL · ZIP codes 33603, 33629, 33602 and 33607: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Tampa Heights have filed flood claims. About 9.6% of Tampa Heights’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 21 claims from the Census block groups that cover Tampa Heights, from 1982 through 2024. 17 of them received a payment, totaling $503,606 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2024 (7 claims), 2017 (3 claims), 1985 (2 claims).
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 Tampa Heights
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 Tampa Heights
The named streets in Tampa Heights, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Tampa Heights lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Tampa Heights; 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. 72 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa St N | 1.7 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Florida Ave | 1.7 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Highland Ave | 1.5 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (98%) |
| North Blvd | 1.5 mi | 2.3% | X (unshaded, minimal) (87%) |
| N Ola Ave | 1.4 mi | 6.1% | X (unshaded, minimal) (92%) |
| N Jefferson St | 1.4 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Central Ave | 1.3 mi | 3.4% | X (unshaded, minimal) (97%) |
| N Morgan St | 1.3 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| State Hwy 93 | 3,640 ft | 20% | X (unshaded, minimal) (78%) |
| N Elmore Ave | 3,170 ft | 25% | X (unshaded, minimal) (75%) |
| N Avon Ave | 2,800 ft | 43% | X (unshaded, minimal) (57%) |
| E Frances Ave | 2,460 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Franklin St | 2,460 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| West Virginia Ave | 2,430 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| N Massachusetts Ave | 2,410 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Columbus Dr | 2,400 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd | 2,350 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Floribraska Ave | 2,340 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Emily St | 2,340 ft | 36% | X (unshaded, minimal) (64%) |
| E Amelia Ave | 2,330 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Palm Ave | 2,290 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Virginia Ave | 2,230 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Ross Ave | 2,210 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| W Ross Ave | 2,200 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| W Palm Ave | 2,200 ft | 31% | X (unshaded, minimal) (49%) |
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 neighborhood boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Tampa Heights
Share of Tampa Heights’s mapped area (about 3.749 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 11 to 11 feet. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (12057C0352J, 12057C0354J): October 7, 2021.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 88% |
| AE | 6.8% |
| A | 2.8% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 2.5% |
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 Tampa Heights. About 82% of the combined area of those block groups lies inside Tampa Heights. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3 | $10,699 |
| 1990s | 3 | $118,338 |
| 2000s | 2 | $34,700 |
| 2010s | 6 | $32,029 |
| 2020s | 7 | $307,840 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Hurricane Helene: 4 claims
- Hurricane Milton: 3 claims
- Hurricane Elena: 2 claims
- Hurricane Josephine: 2 claims
- Hurricane Irma: 2 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 13
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 8
How much is flood insurance in Tampa Heights?
The typical National Flood Insurance Program policy on single-family homes in Tampa Heights costs $709 a year: the median of 59 policies that started between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $549 and $849. 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 25, 2026.
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Before you rent or buy in Tampa Heights
- 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 Tampa mover check.
Living in Tampa Heights
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Tampa Heights with other Tampa neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Tampa on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Tampa Heights flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Tampa Heights have filed flood claims. About 9.6% of Tampa Heights’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 21 claims from the Census block groups that cover Tampa Heights, from 1982 through 2024. 17 of them received a payment, totaling $503,606 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2024 (7 claims), 2017 (3 claims), 1985 (2 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Tampa Heights in a flood zone?
About 9.6% of Tampa Heights’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) 88%; AE 6.8%; A 2.8%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 2.5%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect October 7, 2021.
Which streets in Tampa Heights 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 Tampa St N, N Florida Ave, N Highland Ave, North Blvd, N Ola Ave, N Jefferson St, N Central Ave and N Morgan St does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Tampa Heights in?
Tampa Heights is in Tampa, FL. ZIP codes 33603, 33629, 33602 and 33607: the ZIP codes on most of the 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 Tampa Heights?
The typical NFIP flood insurance policy on single-family homes in Tampa Heights cost $709 a year: the median of 59 policies that started between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Half cost between $549 and $849. 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
- Downtown River Arts
- Encore
- Does Old Seminole Heights flood?
- Does Ridgewood Park flood?
- Does Riverside Heights flood?
- Does South Seminole Heights flood?
How these numbers were made
Neighborhood boundary: City of Tampa, Neighborhoods (open data, CC0). 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 25, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Hillsborough County (county code 12057), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved October 25, 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: 120570042002 (100.0% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570041002 (77.1% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570043001 (36.2% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570030003 (99.8% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570030001 (39.4% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570030002 (100.0% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570029002 (100.0% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570029003 (100.0% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570041001 (100.0% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights), 120570029001 (100.0% of the block group is inside Tampa Heights). 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.
- City of Tampa, Neighborhoods (open data, CC0).
- 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 25, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated October 25, 2026.