Flood zone · ZIP 50266
Flood zone in West Des Moines (IA), IA
ZIP 50266 (Iowa) — flood zone summary sourced from FEMA NFHL. Refreshed on the cadence of the primary regulator with every claim cited to the source record.
What lands here
Pages show the flood zone code, what it means in plain English (1% annual chance zone, 0.2% annual chance zone, or outside mapped hazard), and the base flood elevation where assigned.
Source & refresh
FEMA NFHL. Refreshed quarterly loma updates. Stale data is flagged, never silently served. Primary source →
Limitations specific to this source
For an official flood-zone determination (required by lenders), consult the FEMA Map Service Center directly. zipradar shows informational classifications only.
Iowa context
Radon Zone 1, agricultural water nitrates
Iowa is one of the highest-radon states in the US — uniformly Zone 1. Agricultural runoff drives EPA SDWIS nitrate violations in small rural systems and even Des Moines Water Works. Tornadoes peak April-June.
See Iowa state page for the full state-level rollup across all 12 dimensions.
Read more on flood zone
Editorial deep-dives explaining the source data, its limits, and how to read it.
Flood zones explained — what AE, X, and VE actually mean
Plain-English guide to FEMA flood-zone codes (A, AE, AH, V, VE, X, X-shaded). What the 1% and 0.2% annual-chance zones mean for your property and your insurance.
Wildfire Hazard Potential — what the USFS scale means and how to defend your home
Plain-English guide to the USDA Forest Service's Wildfire Hazard Potential 1–5 scale, how to read your community's risk, and concrete home-defense measures.
Wildfire insurance in 2026 — why premiums spiked and what to do
California, Oregon, Colorado, and other Western states have seen wildfire insurance premiums double or homeowners drop entirely. Plain-English guide to the 2026 market.
FEMA flood zones — AE vs. X vs. VE in plain English
FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer maps every US property's flood-zone designation. Here's what AE, X, VE, and AO actually mean for your insurance bill.
Full dashboard for ZIP 50266
Flood zone is one of twelve dimensions zipradar federates per address. See the full federated summary for ZIP 50266:
Open West Des Moines (IA), IA dashboard →Frequently asked questions
What is the flood zone for ZIP 50266?
Flood zone for ZIP 50266 (West Des Moines (IA), Iowa) is federated from FEMA NFHL. Pages show the flood zone code, what it means in plain English (1% annual chance zone, 0.2% annual chance zone, or outside mapped hazard), and the base flood elevation where assigned. Refreshed quarterly loma updates — see /methodology for full source citations and refresh-cadence details.
Where does the flood zone data come from?
FEMA NFHL (primary regulator). zipradar federates flood zone on the regulator's published cadence: quarterly loma updates. Every claim cites the source record; stale data is flagged, never silently served. The primary source URL: https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/national-flood-hazard-layer.
What are the limitations of flood zone data?
For an official flood-zone determination (required by lenders), consult the FEMA Map Service Center directly. zipradar shows informational classifications only.
Is ZIP 50266 (West Des Moines (IA)) data current?
Last verified 2026-06-10. Flood zone for ZIP 50266 refreshes quarterly loma updates per FEMA NFHL cadence. See the full ZIP dashboard at /zip/50266/ for all 12 dimensions side-by-side.