Blog · October 14, 2026 · Arkansas
Forrest City Flood Zone Map, Arkansas: a practical guide
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Caldwell takes a few minutes.
Main page: St. Francis County, AR GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before you buy or build near Hughes, look at the Forrest City flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, building rules and resale. What this Forrest City guide covers: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and pairing it with the St. Francis County ArcGIS parcel map.
Where the Forrest City flood zone map lives
Flood zones come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: search an address around Colt, then open the map view for that panel. Rural land near Palestine with no street number can still be found: pan from the closest town and click inside the land.
The viewer St. Francis County publishes
Lots and tracts near Caldwell appear on the St. Francis County ArcGIS parcel map, a viewer that needs no account. For land near Hughes, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. With a lot near Widener, a pop-up or side panel usually lists the owner of record, assessed acreage, the parcel number and in many cases the last transfer.
Forrest City and the county around it
Forrest City is part of St. Francis County, Arkansas, so its parcels are on the county's map. Forrest City is also the county seat, so deeds and plats are filed in town. For a tract near Widener, City or town hall handles things like zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, but the county runs assessment and recording. Land beyond the town limits out by Colt generally follows county rules instead.
Beyond the mapped zones
Creeks and ditches near Caldwell aren't always studied in detail, so walk the land after rain. Wet ground around Caldwell is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Decoding the flood zone labels
Zone AE carries a published BFE, and an unnumbered A zone has none; builders around Palestine design to it. Closer to Colt, a shaded X area is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Field tips
Most viewers work in a phone browser, useful out on a road near Widener, though signal can drop in rural spots. A printout of the tract near Palestine helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Questions to ask before you buy
Request whether the home has flooded for the house near Caldwell; an insurance quote early keeps the budget honest.
Parcel lines plus flood zones
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so open the St. Francis County ArcGIS parcel map next for the outline of the tract near Palestine.
Limits of the parcel data
The acreage figure is an assessed number; only a licensed surveyor sets the real boundary for a parcel near Colt. For land near Palestine, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Lenders and permits
For a parcel near Colt, ask for an Elevation Certificate: it records the building's elevation against the base flood. New construction in a floodplain near Colt usually means extra permit review; call the permitting office before you plan.
St. Francis County in a few facts
Forrest City serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. Other places on the map include Madison, Caldwell, Widener, and Palestine, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Around 22,101 people call St. Francis County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over about 635 square miles. The county dates to 1827, and some chains of title near Caldwell are long.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
St. Francis County touches Crittenden County, Cross County, Lee County, Monroe County, and Woodruff County, all with their own assessor records. Acreage along the edge near Palestine can show up in two county records, so open the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. On ground around Colt, the Platbookmapper state page links every neighboring county map for Arkansas.
The paper trail behind a parcel
For anything that matters, request the recorded deed through the Circuit Clerk; the parcel map near Caldwell only summarizes it. For a home near Colt, have ready the book and page shown in the record panel and the lookup takes minutes.
Getting answers from the right desk
Questions about value or the owner field for land near Widener go to the County Assessor, the office behind the parcel record. Building or septic questions for a lot near Widener need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Forrest City: common questions
Does the county parcel map show flood zones in Forrest City?
For most people, a flood layer may appear in the county ArcGIS parcel map layer list; confirm a lot near Colt on FEMA's map either way.
Where can I see the Forrest City flood zone map for free?
Good question; search the address near Widener on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which takes a couple of minutes.
How often are flood maps updated around Palestine?
It depends, but a new study can move a zone line near Palestine, so look at the panel date.
What is a base flood elevation for land near Caldwell?
It depends, but a BFE near Colt tells builders how high the lowest floor should be, and an Elevation Certificate compares the building to it.
Can I settle a boundary dispute with the map near Widener?
No; boundary questions near Widener need a licensed surveyor, so a fence may sit off the line
Open the official St. Francis County, AR parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.