FEMA vs Flood Map USA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FEMA
This app provides essential tools and information for disaster preparedness, safety, and recovery. Receive real-time alerts, access guidance on emergency plans and kits, and find information on disaster assistance.
- Real-time weather and emergency alerts
- Disaster preparedness guidance
- Actionable safety advice
- Disaster recovery assistance information
- Location-based alerts
- Accessibility features
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The official FEMA mobile app provides essential tools and information to help you prepare for, stay safe during, and recover from disasters. Empower yourself and your loved ones with critical resources at your fingertips. Key Features: - Timely and Relevant Alerts: Receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) and Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), tailored to your specified locations (up to five), utilizing zip code precision. Stay informed about potential hazards affecting the areas you care about. - Comprehensive Preparedness Guidance: Access clear, concise information on how to prepare for various disasters. Learn how to develop a family emergency communication plan and build an effective emergency kit. - Actionable Safety Advice: Understand immediate steps to take to protect yourself and your family during different types of emergencies. - Disaster Recovery Assistance: Find answers to frequently asked questions about the disaster assistance process and locate FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers nearby. - Accessibility Focused: Designed with accessibility in mind, the app is compatible with screen reader technology and adheres to federal accessibility standards. Be proactive in ensuing your safety and resilience. Download the official FEMA App today to access vital information and resources when you need them most. It’s a free and essential tool for every individual and family. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, we’d love to hear them. Contact us at fema-app@fema.dhs.gov. Important: Tornado alerts are a moving target using polygon tracking for accuracy. Real-time tornado alerts based on your current location are not currently offered in the FEMA app.
Flood Map USA
This app helps you identify flood-prone areas near a specific U.S. street address. It can generate printable maps or interactive overlays based on available FEMA flood study data. Useful for risk assessment before or after severe weather events.
- Flood zone identification by address
- FEMA flood study data integration
- Printable PDF flood maps
- Interactive map (beta)
- Risk assessment tool
- Supports U.S. addresses
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Flood Risk Map Maker displays a map that shows the flood-prone areas near a given street address in the United States. Identify flood zones to watch out for after a rainstorm, tropical storm, or hurricane. To use: - Type your street address - Tap "Get Flood Risk Map" Depending on the availability of the flood study data in your area, this app will generate one of the following results: - Areas with modern digital FEMA flood study data: A printable PDF showing about 400 acres or about 0.6 sq. mi. - Areas with old FEMA flood study data: A scanned image of an older printed map - Remote areas where a FEMA flood study has not been conducted: No map available - Interactive map (beta): Pan and zoom a live map with color-coded flood zone overlays Ideal for: - Homeowners and home buyers - Real estate agents - Farmers - Insurance professionals - Businesspeople - Anyone doing a risk assessment or asking "Am I in a flood zone?" Ad-supported. If you like the app, please consider upgrading to remove the ads and support future development.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Flood Map USA at 5.0 against FEMA's 3.7. Flood Map USA also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). FEMA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Flood Map USA sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FEMA asks for nothing beyond the download.
Flood Map USA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FEMA has 1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
FEMA ships an update every 2 months, Flood Map USA monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FEMA | Flood Map USA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (1K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #59 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | Qvyshift LLC |
Customer experience
FEMA
Flood Map USA
Bugs and requests
FEMA
Reported bugs
4 issues- Alerts not showing up in the app
- Locations being repeatedly deleted
- Inability to add or update locations
- Notification badge not clearing properly
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Customizable notification settings
- Ability to view past/archived alerts
- Integration with other weather/emergency apps
- Improved mapping and location services
Flood Map USA
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
FEMA
No in-app purchases
Flood Map USA
- Upgrade$6.99
Questions
Is FEMA free?
Is Flood Map USA free?
Which has better reviews, FEMA or Flood Map USA?
Do FEMA or Flood Map USA have ads?
Which is updated more often, FEMA or Flood Map USA?
Other comparisons
