Blog · October 14, 2026 · Montana
Laurel Flood Zone Map: checking a property's flood zone
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Broadview.
Main page: Yellowstone County, MT GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Weighing a property around Billings? The Laurel flood zone map tells you whether the lot falls inside a mapped floodplain, and the lookup is free. In this Laurel guide: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and confirming the outline on the county map.
Where the Laurel flood zone map lives
Flood zones come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: search an address around Broadview, then open the map view for that panel. Vacant ground around Billings is still easy to locate: pan from the closest town and click inside the land.
Where the parcel data lives
Your first stop is the Yellowstone County parcel viewer; it maps each assessed parcel from Broadview to Billings. For land near Billings, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. On ground around Billings, write down the parcel ID before closing the panel; every records desk in the county will want it.
Backing up the map with records
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements covering ground around Billings sit with the County Clerk and Recorder. Long-held tracts near Broadview may sit on many deeds, and a title company is worth hiring if money is changing hands.
Where Laurel fits in
Laurel sits in Yellowstone County, Montana, which means parcel data comes from the county. Around Billings, the municipality handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, and the county still keeps the parcel and deed records. Land beyond the city limits toward Broadview often follows county rules rather than the town's.
How land is described here
Montana uses the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Broadview reference sections and townships. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Billings can be irregular. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Broadview before you request a deed or survey.
Zones on the Laurel flood zone map
Zone AE includes a base flood elevation (BFE), which plain A zones lack; builders around Billings design to it. If you're looking near Billings, a low-risk label isn't a guarantee: FEMA notes that many claims come from moderate- and low-risk areas.
Beyond the mapped zones
Creeks and ditches near Broadview aren't always studied in detail, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wetlands near Broadview can limit building even outside a flood zone; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Parcel lines plus flood zones
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so pair it with the Yellowstone County parcel viewer to confirm you have the right parcel near Billings.
Field tips
Most viewers work in a phone browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Broadview, so load it before you lose signal. A saved image of the lot near Broadview and its lines helps when you meet an owner or agent.
What to request from a seller
Request for any Elevation Certificate on the property near Broadview; getting a quote early keeps the budget honest.
Next door to Yellowstone County
Yellowstone County meets Big Horn County, Carbon County, Golden Valley County, Musselshell County, and Rosebud County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Billings may be split in two county records, so look at the neighboring map too. The Platbookmapper state page lists every neighboring county map across Montana.
Money questions tied to the zone
For a structure inside an A or V zone and a federally regulated lender is involved, flood insurance is generally required in communities in the NFIP, which applies near Billings as much as anywhere. Remodeling a house in a zone near Billings can trigger elevation rules; ask the local floodplain administrator early.
Places you'll see on the map
Billings serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. Roughly 170,843 people live in Yellowstone County (Census estimate, 2023) on roughly 2,633 square miles. Yellowstone County was formed in 1883, which matters when you trace an old farm's title. Places such as Pompeys Pillar National Monument are easy to spot when you zoom out from Broadview.
What the map can't tell you
Listed acreage is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor sets the real corners for a parcel near Billings. Owner names and values update on a schedule, so a fresh transfer around Broadview can take weeks to appear.
Questions about the Laurel flood zone map
Does the county parcel map show flood zones near Billings?
In most cases, the parcel map near Broadview might show FEMA zones, but FEMA's own map is the official source.
Is Zone X safe from flooding in Laurel?
It depends, but X zones around Broadview are lower risk, not no risk, and floods still happen outside high-risk zones.
How often are flood maps updated near Broadview?
For most people, zones near Broadview can shift when FEMA updates a panel; check the effective date on the panel.
Why does the BFE matter near Billings?
In most cases, a BFE near Billings tells builders how high the lowest floor should be; surveyors near Broadview use it often.
Is there an app for the parcel map near Broadview?
The map near Billings usually works on a phone; load it before you lose coverage near Broadview.
Open the official Yellowstone County, MT 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.