It's not impossible, but it's definitely getting harder. Most insurers are tightening their standards on flood risk, especially for properties in high-risk zones. Some will still cover you, but you'll likely pay more for premiums, face higher excesses, or have specific exclusions written in. A few insurers have pulled out of flood-prone areas entirely, which makes finding coverage trickier. The key is that "flood zone" isn't a single category - there's a big difference between a property in a 1-in-100-year flood area versus a 1-in-30-year zone, and insurers price risk accordingly.
Before you panic about buying or keeping a property, check your actual flood risk rating through your local flood mapping service (most countries have free online tools). You might think you're in a risky area when you're actually borderline or low-risk. Once you know where you stand, start contacting insurers directly rather than relying on comparison sites, which sometimes filter out properties automatically. Specialist flood insurers exist too and can be worth a look if mainstream companies won't touch your place.
The tougher situation is when you're in a genuinely high-risk zone and struggling to find anyone willing to cover you. At that point, some countries have backup schemes (like flood pools or government schemes) specifically for properties that can't get standard insurance. Having that safety net matters, but yes, owning in a flood zone does mean you'll need to be more proactive about securing coverage and likely pay more for it.
