Blog · October 14, 2026 · Tennessee
Smith County Flood Zone Map (Tennessee)
Look up any Smith County address on FEMA's flood map, read the zone, and match it to the parcel record for land around South Carthage.
Main page: Smith County, TN GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Smith County facts and neighboring maps).
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Before you buy a house in Gordonsville, add on to a barn near Carthage, or price a lot along Cordell Hull Lake, check the Smith County flood zone map. FEMA's free Flood Map Service Center and the Smith County parcel viewer answer it together.
We'll cover finding a Smith County address on FEMA's map, what Zone A, AE and X mean, how the county viewer fits in, and what to do if the map looks wrong.
How to use the Smith County flood zone map
The authoritative source for a Smith County flood zone map is FEMA, so begin at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. If a tract around Gordonsville has no street number yet, search the nearest road and pan to it. If the PDF panel for Smith County is hard to read, try FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer; zoom to the tract around Gordonsville and click. Switch to the Tennessee Property Viewer and find the same tract around Gordonsville. Match the Smith County lines and acreage to the FEMA view, since flood maps don't draw property lines in detail.
Opening the Smith County parcel viewer
There's no separate Smith County parcel site to hunt for; the Tennessee Property Viewer carries the county's parcels along with the rest of Tennessee. After selecting Smith County, results show the map, group and parcel numbers used on Tennessee tax records for land near South Carthage. Bookmark our Smith County page too; it tracks the official Tennessee link if it moves and lists the maps around Carthage.
Zone A, AE and X in plain English
Any Smith County parcel shaded as Zone A, AE, AH or AO sits in what FEMA calls a Special Flood Hazard Area, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the base or 100-year flood). A surveyor working near South Carthage uses the base flood elevation printed for AE zones; unnumbered A zones don't have one. Shaded Zone X around South Carthage sits in the moderate band between the 100-year and 500-year floods. Unshaded Zone X near Gordonsville is minimal risk.
Creeks, rivers and low ground in Smith County
Parcels touching Cordell Hull Lake deserve a FEMA check before anything else in Smith County. Lines on those Smith County parcels frequently follow the water, so part of the tract can be mapped as high risk. A creek near Gordonsville that lists no detailed zone, which is why it's worth walking the ground after a heavy rain.
Seller questions about flood history
For a house near Gordonsville, ask the seller for any elevation certificate on file and the current flood insurance declarations page. An agent working in Smith County can quote flood coverage once you know the zone for the lot near Gordonsville.
When the map affects a deal
Here's why the zone matters at a closing in South Carthage. If a house near Gordonsville is mapped in a high-risk zone and is financed by a regulated or federally insured lender, flood insurance is mandatory, as long as Smith County or the town participates in the NFIP. Outside the A zones around Gordonsville, insurance is a choice, not a mandate, although a lender in Tennessee can still ask for it. When a Smith County homesite is on a rise inside a mapped zone, a Letter of Map Amendment request is the formal route, supported by elevation data from a professional surveyor. Building or filling inside a mapped zone near South Carthage frequently requires a permit and an elevation check; the county floodplain administrator can say what applies.
Smith County, TN: common questions
Do I need a permit to build in the floodplain near Carthage?
Often, but local floodplain rules apply; ask the county or town building office in Carthage before you buy.
What does 100-year flood mean for Smith County land?
No, ground around Carthage mapped that way carries a 1-in-100 chance in any single year, and two floods in one decade near Carthage are possible.
My house near Gordonsville is in Zone X. Is insurance required?
Not under federal rules; Zone X in Smith County is outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, although a lender can still require coverage.
What is a base flood elevation for a Smith County property?
On the map covering Carthage, it's the projected water surface in the base flood, and a surveyor compares the building near Carthage to it.
Where do I get an elevation certificate in Smith County?
Hire a professional surveyor or engineer who works in Smith County; ask the local floodplain office first in case one exists.
Is Zone AE near Gordonsville high risk?
For a Smith County parcel, Zone AE means a Special Flood Hazard Area with a 1-percent annual chance of flooding and a published base flood elevation.
Open the official Smith County, TN parcel map Smith County 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.