Comparison · Flood and surge
MapWise vs Regrid vs PropStream for a Florida property's flood zone and storm surge
For the FEMA flood zone, MapWise's pages list flood zone layers and reports with base flood elevation, and Regrid's Pro plan lists FEMA's flood hazard layer; PropStream's pages name neither. None of the three names a storm surge or evacuation zone layer. Map Views shows the FEMA zone, the surge category and the evacuation zone together on each Florida parcel; FEMA's map center and the state's Know Your Zone map give the same answers free, one address at a time.
What each one says it shows
| On one property | MapWise | Regrid | PropStream | Map Views |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Professional $89 a month, $75 paid yearly; $114.99 a month in its iPhone app | Pro $10 a month or $100 a year | Essentials $99 a month, $81 paid yearly | $47 a month |
| FEMA flood zone | Yes, with FEMA's map panels | Yes, on Pro | Not stated | Yes, with FEMA's map panels |
| In the 100-year floodplain or not | Yes, in its app's parcel details | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| A lot split between zones | Yes, a zone breakdown by parcel in its flood reports | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, each zone's share of the lot |
| Base flood elevation | Yes, in its flood reports | Not stated | Not stated | No |
| Storm surge zone | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, Category 1 to 5 |
| Evacuation zone | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| On a phone | iPhone app | Mobile and web, on Pro | Web and mobile app | The phone's browser; no app |
"Not stated" means the vendor's public pages do not say, either way: the tool may have it. MapWise's layer directory, Regrid's layer list and PropStream's feature pages were each read for a surge or evacuation layer, and none named one.
Why one check is not enough: Pinellas
FEMA's flood zone marks ground with a 1% chance of flooding in any year, drawn for the flood insurance program. The state's surge zone marks where a hurricane of each category can push seawater. In Pinellas, the two lines part ways across much of the county:
| Pinellas County, measured 1 November 2026 | Parcels |
|---|---|
| All parcels | 433,770 |
| In FEMA's 100-year floodplain | 82,212 |
| In a storm surge zone, any category | 283,021 |
| In a surge zone but outside the 100-year floodplain | 122,508 |
| In a Category 1 surge zone | 130,568 |
| In a Category 1 surge zone but outside the floodplain | 6,725 |
| In a hurricane evacuation zone | 281,914 |
Read the flood zone alone and 122,508 of those Pinellas parcels look outside the floodplain, while the state's study puts seawater on them in some category of storm. Across Florida, 1,707,450 parcels sit in a surge zone and outside the 100-year floodplain.
Checking one property in each
- MapWise: turn on its FEMA flood zone layers, or run its flood zone report for the zone and base flood elevation. For surge, use the state's map below.
- Regrid: on Pro, turn on the FEMA Flood Hazard overlay. Its layer list allows one extra overlay at a time. For surge, the state's map.
- PropStream: its pages do not say where flood data sits; ask them before you rely on it.
- Map Views: type the address and open the parcel. Under "Map layers over it" the report gives the flood zone, the floodplain line, each zone's share, the surge category and the evacuation zone. Turn on the surge and flood layers to see where the lines cross the lot.
- Free: FEMA's Flood Map Service Center for the zone and a printable FIRMette, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Know Your Zone page for the evacuation zone.
Where Map Views stops
- No base flood elevation, elevation certificate or premium. If you need the BFE on screen, MapWise's reports list it; FEMA's map shows it too.
- Parcels with no zone under them. Of the 3,670,629 Florida parcels in a surge zone, 931,561 have no FEMA zone on our map; read those on FEMA's site.
- Dates. Our surge zones are the state study's March 2026 release, its evacuation zones the July 2026 release, and FEMA's zones were read 19 to 21 October 2026.
- Florida only, one property at a time, and no app. For other states, Regrid lists FEMA flood zones nationwide.
For a whole-county search by floodplain, see a PropertyRadar alternative with flood zones; for showing a buyer on site, the flood zone during a showing.
FEMA's effective flood map is the authority for a flood zone, and the county's emergency management office for who is told to leave in a storm. Check both before a purchase or a policy rests on them.