FEMA Records
14
Low volume
Maryland · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Somerset County, MD
14 FEMA disaster declarations (1972-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 14
- FEMA declarations
- 8
- Major disasters
- 60
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Somerset County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 14 declarations, more than 20% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 29% below the Maryland county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 40%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 40%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 14
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 1,260
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 24039 · Somerset County 14 declarations · rank 2531/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-MID 14
- MAJOR-MID 57%
- RANK-LOWER #2,531
- PHOTO-FINISH Pulaski
- NRI-LOW 60
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Hurricane
- VS-ST-BELOW -29%
Nearest declaration peer: Pulaski, IL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Maryland state profile
Somerset County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Somerset County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Franklin (city) · near 14
Franklin (city) · near
14 declarations
- Harris · near 14
Harris · near
14 declarations
- Pulaski · near 14
Pulaski · near
14 declarations
- Somerset · this county 14
Somerset · this county
14 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Somerset County carries 14 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2531 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Somerset County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Somerset County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Somerset County
14 20th percentile higher than 20% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Somerset County's FEMA Risk Index score
What does Somerset County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 1,260 claims and $15.1M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $12.0K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
Start with the state benchmark: a Maryland county averages 19.6 federal declaration records, while Somerset County has 14. The gap is 29% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 59.6/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $16.9M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Coastal Flooding stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.7 times per year here.
46 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Somerset County, MD · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
10/30
14 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
14 declarations (0.7x state county average of 20)
Major Disaster Share High
14/25
8 of 14 declarations are major disasters (57%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Somerset County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Somerset County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
57%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
60
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Somerset County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 3.7 times per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 4 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 236 years |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 4.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 1.1 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 5.2 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,034 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 4 modeled event-days per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 36 times per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 5 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 27 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 7
Snowstorm 3
Biological 2
Winter Storm 1
Flood 1
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on Somerset County's federal record, 50% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 8 57.1%
of all 14 declarations
Emergency - 6 42.9%
of all 14 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 14 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 14 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3634 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4491 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-26 |
| 3430 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4091 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2012-11-20 |
| 3349 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-28 |
| 4034 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-16 |
| 3335 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-27 |
| 3251 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1492 | HURRICANE ISABEL | DR | Hurricane | 2003-09-19 |
| 1303 | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS | DR | Hurricane | 1999-09-24 |
| 1081 | BLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM) | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-11 |
| 3100 | SEVERE SNOWFALL & WINTER STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-16 |
| 524 | ICE CONDITIONS | DR | Snowstorm | 1977-01-26 |
| 341 | TROPICAL STORM AGNES | DR | Flood | 1972-06-23 |
Storm Events in Maryland
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Somerset County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,959 | 6 | 43 | $102.0M |
| Winter Weather | 1,341 | 4 | 26 | $95.0K |
| Flood | 1,089 | 1 | 0 | $1.4M |
| Flash Flood | 790 | 9 | 4 | $96.3M |
| Dense Fog | 513 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
1,260
Total Paid
$15.1M
Avg Per Claim
$12.0K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 59.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Coastal Flooding Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Hail Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Coastal Flooding
Coastal Flooding is modeled separately from riverine flooding because its driver is different: surge, tide and wave action rather than a watershed draining. It is also the hazard whose baseline is moving, since the same storm rides on a higher starting sea level than it used to.
For Somerset County the two measures on this page point the same way: Coastal Flooding is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively High), and Hurricane declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Somerset County's closest FEMA peer: Umatilla County, OR
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Somerset County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Somerset County shows 14 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
Similar Major-disaster share
Somerset County: 8 of 14 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Somerset County: NRI composite 59.6 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Somerset County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Somerset County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 59.6 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 14. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Somerset County's NFIP claims file (1,260 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Somerset County?
The most common disaster type in Somerset County is Hurricane, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (3), Biological (2), Winter Storm (1).
How does Somerset County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Maryland average?
The typical Maryland county has 19.6 FEMA declaration records; Somerset County has 14, or 29% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 32% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Somerset County received?
Somerset County has received 8 major disaster declarations, representing 57% of all 14 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Somerset County filed?
Somerset County has 1,260 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $15.1M in payments, with an average of $12.0K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in Somerset County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Somerset County was 2011, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1972 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Somerset County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Somerset County, Maryland has an overall risk score of 59.6 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Somerset County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Somerset County is Coastal Flooding (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Relatively Moderate) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts coastal flooding here at an average of 3.7 times per year. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Somerset County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Maryland profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events