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Nashville sends 18,000 flood-risk notices as FEMA maps expand
Metro Water Services has mailed 18,000 flood-risk notices to Davidson County property owners, fewer than the more than 22,000 sent last year. Officials say some locations are newly mapped—not newly exposed to flooding—and urge residents to check their risk and consider flood insurance.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Metro Water Services mailed 18,000 flood-risk notices to Davidson County property owners this week, alerting them that their properties fall within mapped flood-risk areas. That is down from more than 22,000 notices sent in 2025.
Some addresses are appearing on the maps for the first time because they were not previously studied, said Sonia Allman, Metro Water Services’ manager of strategic communications. The new designations do not necessarily mean the properties have only recently become vulnerable to flooding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency continually studies and maps additional areas, Allman said. Places that have flooded may not have been included in a designated floodplain before their area was mapped.
Flood insurance remains uncommon in Tennessee: about 1% to 2% of homeowners have a policy, according to state figures cited by officials. Standard homeowners insurance generally does not cover flood damage, Allman said, while residents across Nashville can purchase flood insurance.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimates that just one inch of water inside a home can cause as much as $25,000 in repairs. Without flood insurance, homeowners may have to pay those costs themselves.
Nashville participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Homeowners with flood insurance who file repeated claims may qualify for a home buyout, according to Metro Water Services.
Residents can check a property’s mapped risk using Nashville’s online Parcel Viewer. Select “FEMA Flood Hazard Areas” in the map layers.