Flood Zones on Daniel Island

All properties on Daniel Island and in the Lowcountry are in some type of flood zone which is determined by FEMA, based on studies of statistics, not history. When you drive around Daniel Island you'll observe that all homes are elevated to some degree. The finished first floor of the property is required to be a certain number of feet above sea level based on flood elevation.
We have three different types of flood zones here on Daniel Island: X zone, AE zone, and V zone. You can find out what flood zone a property is in by looking at a plat. If a property is located in an X flood zone the Purchaser will not be required to have flood insurance, though I recommend to my clients to get the minimum amount of coverage anyway. In an A zone or a V zone, FEMA's minimum amount of flood insurance is required which is $250,000 in coverage. Finding coverage over and above that can be difficult and expensive, so I generally advise clients to do what makes them comfortable; however, I think the majority of Purchasers only purchase the minimum amount of coverage. In short, the difference between an A zone property and a V zone property is that the V zone property must be built higher off the ground and the cost for the same amount of insurance coverage for a V zone property will be significantly greater.
You should contact your insurance provider for quotes. In order to give you an accurate quote they will need a copy of an Elevation Certificate on the property which can be obtained from the Seller or the Seller's insurance provider.
Here are some good websites to visit to learn more:
http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/about/flood_zones_explained.jsp
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/floodplain/nfipkeywords/flood_zones.shtm