Blog · October 17, 2026 · Iowa
Using the Huxley Flood Zone Map
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Nevada takes a few minutes.
Main page: Story County, IA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before an offer near Kelley, check the Huxley flood zone map: FEMA's zone label affects insurance, building rules and resale. This Huxley guide covers: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and matching it with the county parcel viewer.
The Huxley flood zone map: start here
The official source is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: type an address near Kelley, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Vacant ground around Ames is still easy to locate: search the nearest road then click the parcel area.
Where the parcel data lives
Go first to the Story County Beacon site; it maps every tax parcel in the county, Cambridge included. Closer to Slater, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. For land near Nevada, the record panel usually lists the owner of record, assessed acreage, a parcel ID and in many cases the last transfer.
Story County in a few facts
Nevada holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. Smaller places on the map include Cambridge, Slater, Kelley, and Ames, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Roughly 98,566 people call Story County home (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over about 573 square miles. If the land is near Kelley, Story County was organized in 1846, which matters when you trace an old farm's title.
Neighboring parcel maps
If the land is near Slater, Story County borders Boone County, Hamilton County, Hardin County, Jasper County, and Marshall County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Maxwell may show up in two county records, so open the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. If you're looking near Slater, the Platbookmapper state page links every bordering county map for Iowa.
Offices that can help
Anything recorded against property around Slater come from the County Recorder, usually searchable by name or document number. Questions about what you can build around Kelley are for the local planning and health departments, town or county, depending on location.
The paper trail behind a parcel
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements for land near Kelley are kept by the County Recorder. Inherited tracts near Kelley can trace back through many deeds, and a title company earns its fee if money is changing hands.
Taking the map into the field
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Slater, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A printout of the tract near Nevada helps when you meet an owner or agent.
A short flood checklist
Request whether the home has flooded for the house near Maxwell; getting a quote early avoids surprises.
City limits and county records
Huxley lies within Story County, Iowa, and the county assessor maps its lots. Local government in Huxley handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, while the county keeps the tax map. Acreage past the town limits toward Nevada generally answers to county rules rather than the town's.
Decoding the flood zone labels
In and around Maxwell, any A or V zone are Special Flood Hazard Areas, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any year. For a home near Ames, a shaded X area is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X is minimal risk.
Sections, lots and bearings
Iowa uses the Public Land Survey System, so rural legal descriptions near Kelley cite section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Nevada can be irregular. Write down the legal description for the tract near Maxwell for any title or survey request.
Lining it up with the parcel map
FEMA's map shows zones but not ownership, so check the Story County Beacon site too to confirm you have the right parcel near Slater.
Beyond the mapped zones
Small streams around Kelley may not have detailed mapping, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wet ground around Ames is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Lenders and permits
Closer to Slater, an Elevation Certificate from a surveyor helps: it can change the insurance price a lot. New construction in a floodplain near Kelley can trigger elevation rules; check with the county or town building office before you plan.
Questions about the Huxley flood zone map
When is flood insurance required in Huxley?
In most cases, for a building near Slater in an A or V zone with a federally backed or regulated mortgage, it's generally required; outside those zones it's your call.
How often are flood maps updated near Slater?
Good question; a new study can move a zone line near Ames, so look at the panel date.
Do I need to worry about flooding in Zone X in Huxley?
Good question; Zone X near Maxwell means moderate (shaded) or minimal (unshaded) mapped risk; many owners near Nevada buy coverage anyway.
What does an AE label mean for a lot near Kelley?
For most people, an AE zone has a 1% annual chance of flooding and a base flood elevation, so builders near Slater design to that elevation.
Is there a way to export the map around Kelley?
Use the print button or a screenshot, and it's worth keeping the parcel ID visible for land near Slater.
Open the official Story County, IA 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.