Confirm the panel and date
Find the FIRM panel number and effective date in the title block. Preliminary maps show proposed changes and are not automatically the effective regulatory map.
Locate the building
Use roads and other landmarks to locate the actual building. An address marker is only approximate. If a building crosses a zone boundary, the higher hazard designation can apply to the whole building.
Read the legend
Identify the zone, any floodway, base flood elevations or depths, and special annotations. Download an official FIRMette from FEMA’s Map Service Center for a map excerpt.