Hazards

Attribute 

Definition 

Hazard Summary 

A visual indicator summarizing whether a property is deemed at risk for earthquake, high-hazard flood, or windstorm as defined by the client's insurance policy. 

Flood Zone 

Provides the FEMA flood zone for the given property, if available. 

Archipelago Flood Zone 

Flood zones are areas with a high propensity for, or a high past record of, flooding. Derived via FEMA Flood Maps for domestic US properties and via the Inhance model for international properties. 

Base Flood Elevation 

The computed elevation to which a flood is anticipated to rise during the base (1% annual chance / 100-year) flood event, as defined by FEMA. Derived via FEMA Flood Maps for domestic properties. 

Flood Missiles 

Refers to the increased risk from debris nearby the property that could be carried by floodwaters. 

Seismic Zone 

Areas with a high propensity for, and past instances of, significant seismic activity resulting in earthquakes. Regions are defined by the lead insurer. 

Archipelago Seismic Zone 

Seismic zones as determined by Archipelago. Provided via the customer, or derived via default zones where not provided. 

Seismic Hazard Class 

Based on the relative severity of earthquake ground shaking for a specific building location, using ASCE 7-16 seismic design categories computed via the ATC tool. 

Liquefaction Susceptibility 

A measure of a soil's inherent resistance to liquefaction, ranging from very low (not susceptible) to highly susceptible. 

Landslide Susceptibility 

The likelihood a landslide will occur in a seismic event, based on soil composition, moisture content, slopes over 15 degrees, and earthquake characteristics. 

Site Soil Classification 

A scale of values A through F based on the shear wave velocity of the upper 30 meters of the soil column, used to predict the intensity of ground shaking at the surface. 

Tsunami Hazard Class 

Derived from state and local maps provided in part by the National Tsunami Mitigation Program (NTMP), identifying tsunami inundation and evacuation areas. 

Convective Storm Zone 

Measures the propensity for a structure to be subjected to a convective storm. Derived via FEMA Risk Index datasets for domestic properties. 

Hail Hazard Class 

Shows the expected frequency, in number of days per year, of hailstorms where hailstones have a diameter larger than 2 cm — a threshold associated with substantial structural damage. 

Lightning Hazard Class 

Derived from the mean annual flash rate per square kilometer, indicating the likelihood of lightning occurring at a given location. 

Tornado Hazard Class 

Represents the risk of EF2–EF5 tornadoes occurring at the building location, rated from No Observation to Very High. 

Wind Zone 

Areas with a high propensity for, and past history of, significant tropical cyclonic activity, as defined by lead insurers. 

Archipelago Wind Zone 

Wind zones as determined by Archipelago, derived via industry guidance. 

Wind Hazard Class 

Based on the level of wind speeds a building is expected to experience. 

Distance to Coast 

The measurement, in miles, from the property's coordinates to the nearest coastline as defined by NOAA. 

Surface Roughness Wind 

A meteorological parameter measuring how much physical terrain features (e.g., trees, buildings) slow down wind speeds near the ground. 

Wind Missiles 

Refers to windborne debris, used as an input for catastrophe models. 

Tree Exposure 

Refers to a structure's vulnerability to damage from nearby trees in a wind event. 

Wildfire Hazard Class 

Indicates the propensity for wildfires to occur at the building location, based on historic wildfire activity derived from the Global Fire Emissions Database. 

Wildfire Zone 

Represents the risk of wildfires in a given region based on average annual frequency. Available for the US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Derived via FEMA Risk Index datasets. 

Defensible Space 

The buffer between the building and surrounding vegetation to reduce the spread of fire. 

Exterior Fuel Storage 

Details the type and quantity of fuel stored outside the structure. 

Firewise Community Participation 

Details whether the community surrounding the structure participates in the Firewise program.