Is Your Listing in a New Flood Zone? What Every Oʻahu REALTOR® Needs to Know Before June 10

On June 10, 2026, FEMA's updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps take effect for the City and County of Honolulu, redrawing flood zones along nearly 100 miles of O'ahu streams, placing approximately 3,492 parcels into a Special Flood Hazard Area for the first time.

Sellers of newly mapped properties need not disclose their new flood zone designation until June 10, when the updated flood maps take effect, but disclosing the new flood designation early can save a transaction.

If your clients own or are buying property in a newly designated flood zone, any federally backed mortgage on that property—FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional—will require a qualified flood insurance policy, and lenders can force-place costly coverage if it’s not obtained within 45 days of the June 10 remapping. FEMA's "Newly Mapped" discount offers lower Preferred Risk Policy rates during the first year, but the NFIP's standard 30-day waiting period means policies purchased after mid-May may not be active by June 10. So the time for your clients to secure a policy is now—not next month.

How do you know if a property is moving into a Special Flood Hazard Area? Check Resilient Oʻahu’s interactive map (www.resilientoahu.org/getfloodready), which features a side-by-side slider that lets you compare a property’s current flood zone against the new zone taking effect June 10, making it easy to see at a glance whether a property’s designation is changing.

Confirm the property’s flood zone designation by visiting the official national repository for all Flood Insurance Rate Maps at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov).

For deeper guidance, the Hawai'i DLNR NFIP page (dlnreng.hawaii.gov/nfip/) and FEMA's resource page for real estate professionals (https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/know-your-risk/realtor-lending-insurance) are excellent starting points to share with clients.

The bottom line: Oʻahu's flood maps are about to change. Be the REALTOR® who alerts your clients first, helps them lock in the best flood insurance rate, and keeps their transaction on track.