Blog · October 14, 2026 · North Dakota
Reading the Foster County Flood Zone Map for a parcel
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Melville.
Main page: Foster County, ND GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Weighing a property around McHenry? The Foster County flood zone map tells you whether the lot falls inside a mapped floodplain, and no account is needed. In this Foster County guide: finding the address on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and confirming the outline on the county map.
Where the Foster County flood zone map lives
For property near Grace City, the official source is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: enter the street address, then open the map view for that panel. Vacant ground around Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge can still be found: search the nearest road then click the parcel area.
Getting to the right map
Lots and tracts near James River appear on the North Dakota Parcel Viewer, which opens without registering. Without an address in hand, pan along the nearest road and click the parcel itself, which applies near Grace City as much as anywhere. On ground around Melville, save the parcel ID before closing the panel; each office in the county will want it.
Field tips
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, though signal can drop in rural spots. A printout of the tract near McHenry helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Next door to Foster County
Foster County meets Eddy County, Griggs County, Stutsman County, and Wells County, all with their own assessor records. Ground near Bordulac that runs to the line may show up across two assessors' files, so look at the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. In and around Glenfield, our state page links each bordering county map across North Dakota.
What the map can't tell you
Acreage on the record is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners for a parcel near Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge. For a parcel near McHenry, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month can take weeks to appear.
Which office to call
Deeds, mortgages and recorded plats for land near Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge are with the County Recorder, often with an online index. Questions about what you can build around Bordulac are for the local planning and health departments, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Reading A, AE and X
Closer to Bordulac, A and V zones are Special Flood Hazard Areas, which FEMA defines as a 1% annual chance of flooding. If the land is near Glenfield, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so pair it with the North Dakota Parcel Viewer to confirm you have the right parcel near McHenry.
A short flood checklist
For acreage around Carrington, request whether the home has flooded before closing; getting a quote early keeps the budget honest.
The paper trail behind a parcel
For property near Grace City, the map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, subdivision plats and easements for parcels in the county are filed with the County Recorder. If the land is near Carrington, bring the book and page from the tax record so staff can find the deed fast.
Insurance, lenders and building
On ground around McHenry, an Elevation Certificate from a surveyor helps: it compares the building to the BFE. Building or adding on near Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge in a mapped zone usually means extra permit review; call the permitting office before you plan.
A quick look at the area
Carrington serves as the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. Other places on the map include Glenfield, Grace City, McHenry, and Barlow. About 3,309 people call Foster County home (Census estimate, 2023) across about 634 square miles. Foster County was formed in 1873, which matters when you trace an old farm's title. Places such as James River and Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge make handy reference points on the map.
Water near James River
Low-lying fields near Bordulac aren't always studied in detail, so ask neighbors about past flooding. Wet ground around Grace City is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Questions about the Foster County flood zone map
Do I need to worry about flooding in Zone X around Bordulac?
Short answer: Zone X near Glenfield means moderate (shaded) or minimal (unshaded) mapped risk, and floods still happen outside high-risk zones.
How do I get a property removed from a flood zone around Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge?
Generally, you can ask FEMA for a LOMA if surveyed elevations show the building near James River is above the BFE; a surveyor's elevation data supports it.
What is the difference between Zone A and AE for land near Glenfield?
If you're looking near McHenry, both are high-risk zones, but only AE has a base flood elevation; unnumbered A zones don't list one.
What is a base flood elevation near James River?
The base flood elevation is the water level expected in the 1% annual chance flood; surveyors near Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge use it often.
What's the tax parcel number used for in Foster County?
Every office uses it to pull the same file for land near McHenry; copy it before you call anyone.
Open the official Foster County, ND 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.