Maryland Natural Disaster Risk by County
Of Maryland's 24 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Baltimore City (score 95.0 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $1.1 billion a year.
OpenFEMA lists 36 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for Maryland since 1962 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is EM-3634-MD, Severe Winter Storm, declared 24 January 2026.
Live weather alerts for Maryland Latest FEMA declarations All official warnings
Most exposed counties, hazard by hazard
Top 10 by FEMA hazard risk scoreHurricane 24 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore County | Relatively Moderate | $14 million |
| 2 | Baltimore City | Relatively Moderate | $9.7 million |
| 3 | Prince George's County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 4 | Worcester County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 5 | Montgomery County | Relatively Moderate | $12 million |
| 6 | Wicomico County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 7 | Somerset County | Relatively Moderate | $4.9 million |
| 8 | Caroline County | Relatively Moderate | $4.8 million |
| 9 | Anne Arundel County | Relatively Moderate | $8.3 million |
| 10 | Washington County | Relatively Moderate | $4.1 million |
Tornado 24 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore City | Relatively High | $10 million |
| 2 | Prince George's County | Relatively High | $11 million |
| 3 | Anne Arundel County | Relatively Moderate | $7.0 million |
| 4 | Baltimore County | Relatively Moderate | $4.3 million |
| 5 | Montgomery County | Relatively Moderate | $4.3 million |
| 6 | Frederick County | Relatively Moderate | $3.5 million |
| 7 | Washington County | Relatively Low | $1.8 million |
| 8 | Cecil County | Relatively Low | $1.4 million |
| 9 | Howard County | Relatively Low | $1.6 million |
| 10 | St. Mary's County | Relatively Low | $1.4 million |
Inland flooding 24 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prince George's County | Relatively High | $65 million |
| 2 | Baltimore City | Relatively High | $52 million |
| 3 | Baltimore County | Relatively High | $67 million |
| 4 | Montgomery County | Relatively High | $71 million |
| 5 | Frederick County | Relatively Moderate | $32 million |
| 6 | Anne Arundel County | Relatively Moderate | $33 million |
| 7 | Harford County | Relatively Moderate | $30 million |
| 8 | Howard County | Relatively Moderate | $30 million |
| 9 | Allegany County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 10 | Washington County | Relatively Moderate | $14 million |
Coastal flooding 19 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somerset County | Relatively High | $7.0 million |
| 2 | Dorchester County | Relatively High | $5.8 million |
| 3 | Worcester County | Relatively High | $4.5 million |
| 4 | Baltimore County | Relatively Moderate | $1.6 million |
| 5 | Anne Arundel County | Relatively Moderate | $2.2 million |
| 6 | Talbot County | Relatively Moderate | $1.1 million |
| 7 | Queen Anne's County | Relatively Moderate | $1.0 million |
| 8 | Baltimore City | Relatively Moderate | $559,270 |
| 9 | St. Mary's County | Relatively Moderate | $1.1 million |
| 10 | Kent County | Relatively Low | $473,602 |
Wildfire 24 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somerset County | Relatively Low | $602,190 |
| 2 | Dorchester County | Relatively Low | $516,728 |
| 3 | Wicomico County | Relatively Low | $482,090 |
| 4 | Talbot County | Relatively Low | $181,865 |
| 5 | Worcester County | Relatively Low | $118,794 |
| 6 | Caroline County | Relatively Low | $96,572 |
| 7 | Queen Anne's County | Very Low | $92,093 |
| 8 | St. Mary's County | Very Low | $132,193 |
| 9 | Calvert County | Very Low | $91,429 |
| 10 | Prince George's County | Very Low | $27,446 |
Earthquake 24 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prince George's County | Relatively Moderate | $8.3 million |
| 2 | Baltimore City | Relatively Moderate | $6.9 million |
| 3 | Baltimore County | Relatively Moderate | $8.4 million |
| 4 | Montgomery County | Relatively Moderate | $8.3 million |
| 5 | Anne Arundel County | Relatively Low | $3.7 million |
| 6 | Howard County | Relatively Low | $2.2 million |
| 7 | Washington County | Relatively Low | $1.2 million |
| 8 | Harford County | Relatively Low | $2.0 million |
| 9 | Frederick County | Relatively Low | $1.7 million |
| 10 | Cecil County | Relatively Low | $953,473 |
Every Maryland county, highest overall risk first
24| # | County | Overall risk | Score | Loss a year | Top hazard | Declarations | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore City | Relatively High | 95.0 | $136 million | Heat wave | 20 | 6 |
| 2 | Baltimore County | Relatively Moderate | 94.0 | $157 million | Winter weather | 22 | 31 |
| 3 | Prince George's County | Relatively Moderate | 93.2 | $122 million | Winter weather | 17 | 28 |
| 4 | Montgomery County | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | $126 million | Winter weather | 19 | 26 |
| 5 | Anne Arundel County | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $75 million | Winter weather | 21 | 29 |
| 6 | Frederick County | Relatively Low | 74.2 | $50 million | Winter weather | 21 | 35 |
| 7 | Harford County | Relatively Low | 72.5 | $51 million | Winter weather | 18 | 26 |
| 8 | Howard County | Relatively Low | 72.4 | $52 million | Winter weather | 20 | 19 |
| 9 | Washington County | Relatively Low | 68.8 | $27 million | Drought | 15 | 14 |
| 10 | Worcester County | Relatively Low | 68.2 | $26 million | Hurricane | 12 | 15 |
| 11 | Wicomico County | Relatively Low | 60.8 | $24 million | Hurricane | 12 | 11 |
| 12 | Somerset County | Relatively Low | 59.6 | $17 million | Coastal flooding | 12 | 6 |
| 13 | Carroll County | Relatively Low | 59.5 | $32 million | Strong wind | 17 | 26 |
| 14 | Cecil County | Relatively Low | 58.6 | $23 million | Drought | 19 | 19 |
| 15 | Allegany County | Relatively Low | 58.5 | $15 million | Landslide | 15 | 8 |
| 16 | Dorchester County | Relatively Low | 53.8 | $16 million | Coastal flooding | 18 | 11 |
| 17 | Caroline County | Relatively Low | 45.7 | $13 million | Drought | 19 | 8 |
| 18 | Charles County | Relatively Low | 44.1 | $23 million | Heat wave | 22 | 32 |
| 19 | St. Mary's County | Very Low | 42.6 | $22 million | Hurricane | 16 | 34 |
| 20 | Talbot County | Very Low | 42.4 | $13 million | Drought | 18 | 4 |
| 21 | Queen Anne's County | Very Low | 35.6 | $13 million | Drought | 16 | 13 |
| 22 | Calvert County | Very Low | 28.9 | $16 million | Hurricane | 22 | 19 |
| 23 | Kent County | Very Low | 27.5 | $8.5 million | Drought | 19 | 5 |
| 24 | Garrett County | Very Low | 16.0 | $5.8 million | Landslide | 12 | 7 |
Score: FEMA's national percentile (higher = more risk). Declarations: federal declarations that named the county since 1953, not counting COVID-19. Tornadoes: NOAA SPC tornadoes that touched the county, 1950–2025.
Latest federal declarations in Maryland
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What this page shows, and what it misses
FEMA's National Risk Index compares every US county with every other for 18 natural hazards, combining expected losses with social vulnerability and community resilience. It is a planning-level estimate for nationwide comparison, not a flood-zone map and not the risk to any one property — for flood zones use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center ↗. Federal declarations exclude state declarations and SBA or USDA designations.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties - v1.20.0 (December 2025). Retrieved from https://services.arcgis.com/XG15cJAlne2vxtgt/ArcGIS/rest/services/National_Risk_Index_Counties/FeatureServer/0/query on November 2, 2026, 1:20 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), OpenFEMA Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2, retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries on November 2, 2026, 1:21 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Tornado records: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, Severe Weather Database, tornadoes 1950–2025 (https://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/data/1950-2025_actual_tornadoes.csv, downloaded 2 November 2026). Public domain; not endorsed by NOAA. Compiled by Global Incident Tracker.
Questions about Maryland
Which county in Maryland has the highest natural disaster risk?
Of Maryland's 24 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Baltimore City (score 95.0 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $1.1 billion a year.
Which Maryland counties are most at risk from tornadoes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index tornado risk score: Baltimore City, Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
Which Maryland counties are most at risk from hurricanes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index hurricane risk score: Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince George's County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Maryland had?
OpenFEMA lists 36 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for Maryland since 1962 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is EM-3634-MD, Severe Winter Storm, declared 24 January 2026.