FEMA declarations
38
Low volume
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Maryland Natural Disasters
Maryland has one of the lighter federal disaster records in the country. 38 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by flood, with $258.7M in combined property and crop damage. A light count doesn't mean zero risk, just fewer events that crossed the federal declaration threshold. NOAA storm event data shows 10,290 recorded weather events resulting in 61 fatalities, figures the state uses to prioritize disaster-preparedness planning.
- 38
- FEMA declarations
- 10,290
- NOAA storm events
- 61
- Storm fatalities
- $258.7M
- Property + crop damage
The Maryland risk picture
1 of the 24 counties FEMA scores, 4%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Maryland has 31 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 121 injuries statewide.
- 4%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 38
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $258.7M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 20,788
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
82%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
10,290
Observed severe-weather records
How does Maryland compare?
Maryland vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
38 17th percentile higher than 17% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. 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
Maryland county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
60.2 Top 46% higher than 54% of 24 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. 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 National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Maryland sits at the 11th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 40th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Maryland's record?
FEMA declaration types in Maryland
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Flood
Flood
10 declarations
- Hurricane
Hurricane
9 declarations
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
8 declarations
- Snowstorm
Snowstorm
7 declarations
- Biological 2
Biological
2 declarations
- Winter Storm 1
Winter Storm
1 declarations
- Tornado 1
Tornado
1 declarations
What this shows Flood leads Maryland's FEMA declaration mix with 10 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in Maryland
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2018 (1,220 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
40 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Maryland · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . 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) Low
6/30
38 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.4x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Moderate
12/25
10290 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (0.9x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Low
4/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (0.4x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Maryland
What does Maryland's hazard record show?
FEMA disaster declarations
Maryland (MD) has a low level of federal declaration activity, with 38 FEMA declaration records, including 31 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Flood, followed by Hurricane (9), Severe Storm (8), Snowstorm (7). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 24Maryland counties have filed 20,788 NFIP claims totaling $339.9M, or an average of $16.4K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $0.5B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Maryland recorded 10,290 individual storm events, causing 61 fatalities and 121 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $258.7M. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (3,959 events), Winter Weather (1,341 events), Flood (1,089 events). Across the 24counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 1 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 60.2/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
Disaster Types in Maryland
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Flood
26.3%
10 declarations
Hurricane
23.7%
9 declarations
Severe Storm
21.1%
8 declarations
Snowstorm
18.4%
7 declarations
Biological
5.3%
2 declarations
Winter Storm
2.6%
1 declarations
Tornado
2.6%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Maryland (2015-2025).
| Event 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 |
| Winter Storm | 419 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Hail | 410 | 0 | 0 | $203.0K |
| Frost/Freeze | 263 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heat | 253 | 15 | 1 | $0 |
| Coastal Flood | 242 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| Heavy Rain | 231 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| High Wind | 177 | 2 | 8 | $290.0K |
| Excessive Heat | 149 | 11 | 0 | $0 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 145 | 0 | 0 | $100.0K |
| Tornado | 82 | 2 | 9 | $49.4M |
| Lightning | 47 | 2 | 19 | $3.9M |
| Ice Storm | 37 | 0 | 10 | $20.0K |
| Tropical Storm | 35 | 1 | 1 | $3.0M |
| Strong Wind | 31 | 1 | 0 | $54.6K |
| Heavy Snow | 21 | 0 | 0 | $4.0K |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 946 | 2 | 5 | $9.6M |
| 2024 | 554 | 1 | 5 | $41.1M |
| 2023 | 649 | 2 | 4 | $76.8M |
| 2022 | 865 | 3 | 2 | $7.8M |
| 2021 | 1,103 | 6 | 9 | $11.4M |
| 2020 | 1,128 | 1 | 20 | $10.0M |
| 2019 | 1,208 | 4 | 16 | $2.3M |
| 2018 | 1,220 | 29 | 11 | $72.3M |
| 2017 | 851 | 1 | 18 | $1.1M |
| 2016 | 888 | 4 | 21 | $24.5M |
| 2015 | 878 | 8 | 10 | $1.7M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 38 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 38 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
38 unique disaster declarations in Maryland.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3634 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4583 | TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS | DR | Hurricane | 2021-02-04 |
| 4491 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-26 |
| 3430 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4376 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-07-02 |
| 4374 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-06-25 |
| 4279 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-09-16 |
| 4261 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2016-03-04 |
| 4170 | SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-04-10 |
| 4091 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2012-11-20 |
| 3349 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-28 |
| 4075 | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-08-02 |
| 4038 | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE | DR | Flood | 2011-10-05 |
| 4034 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-16 |
| 3335 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-27 |
| 1910 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMS | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-05-06 |
| 1875 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-02-19 |
| 1652 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-07-02 |
| 3251 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1492 | HURRICANE ISABEL | DR | Hurricane | 2003-09-19 |
| 3179 | SNOW | EM | Severe Storm | 2003-03-14 |
| 1409 | TORNADO | DR | Tornado | 2002-05-01 |
| 1324 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-04-10 |
| 1303 | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS | DR | Hurricane | 1999-09-24 |
| 1139 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING ASSOC WITH TROPICAL STORM FRAN | DR | Hurricane | 1996-09-17 |
| 1094 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-01-23 |
| 1081 | BLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM) | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-11 |
| 1016 | SEVERE WINTER WEATHER AND ICE STORMS | DR | Snowstorm | 1994-03-16 |
| 3100 | SEVERE SNOWFALL & WINTER STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-16 |
| 839 | SEVERE STORMS & HIGH WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 1989-08-28 |
| 773 | SEVERE STORM & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-09-10 |
| 601 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1979-09-14 |
| 524 | ICE CONDITIONS | DR | Snowstorm | 1977-01-26 |
| 522 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1976-10-14 |
| 489 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1975-10-04 |
| 341 | TROPICAL STORM AGNES | DR | Flood | 1972-06-23 |
| 309 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1971-08-17 |
| 127 | SEVERE STORMS, HIGH TIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1962-03-09 |
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Maryland counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
60.2/100
High Risk Counties
1
of 24 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$0.5B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$492.3M EAL
#2
Heat Wave
$139.8M EAL
#3
Hurricane
$128.4M EAL
#4
Tornado
$53.8M EAL
#5
Earthquake
$49.9M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Maryland from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
20,788
Total Paid
$339.9M
Avg Per Claim
$16.4K
Counties With Claims
24
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Maryland
24 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 2 | Charles County | 24 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 3 | Calvert County | 24 | Very Low | 17 |
| 4 | Anne Arundel County | 23 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 5 | Frederick County | 23 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 6 | Howard County | 22 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 7 | Baltimore (city) | 22 | Relatively High | 15 |
| 8 | Montgomery County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 9 | Kent County | 21 | Very Low | 14 |
| 10 | Caroline County | 21 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 11 | Cecil County | 21 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 12 | Talbot County | 20 | Very Low | 13 |
| 13 | Dorchester County | 20 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 14 | Harford County | 20 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 15 | Prince George's County | 19 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 16 | Carroll County | 19 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 17 | Queen Anne's County | 18 | Very Low | 11 |
| 18 | St. Mary's County | 18 | Very Low | 12 |
| 19 | Washington County | 17 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 20 | Allegany County | 17 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 21 | Somerset County | 14 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 22 | Garrett County | 14 | Very Low | 8 |
| 23 | Wicomico County | 14 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 24 | Worcester County | 14 | Relatively Low | 8 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Maryland are Baltimore (Relatively High), Baltimore (Relatively Moderate), Prince George's (Relatively Moderate), Montgomery (Relatively Moderate), Anne Arundel (Relatively Moderate). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 24 counties in Maryland are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Maryland: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. Maryland: 60.2 across 24 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. Maryland: 38. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Maryland?
Maryland is affected by flood, hurricane, severe storm, snowstorm. Topping the list is Flood, based on 38 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Maryland had?
Maryland has received 38 FEMA disaster declarations, including 31 major disaster declarations. That total is spread across disaster types including Flood (10), Hurricane (9), Severe Storm (8).
What severe weather events are most common in Maryland?
The most common severe weather events in Maryland include thunderstorm wind (3,959 events), winter weather (1,341 events), flood (1,089 events). Between 2015 and 2025, NOAA recorded these events causing 61 fatalities and $258.7M in property and crop damage.
How active is Maryland's federal disaster declaration record?
Maryland has a low level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 38 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 61 fatalities and 121 injuries. NOAA-listed property and crop damage totals $258.7M.
How many flood insurance claims has Maryland had?
Maryland has 20,788 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $339.9M total paid out. The average claim payment is $16.4K, with 24 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Maryland have the most disaster declarations?
Among 24 counties in Maryland, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Baltimore (24 declarations), Charles (24 declarations), Calvert (24 declarations). County-level records show where federal declarations have concentrated across the state.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Maryland
Baltimore alone accounts for 63% of Maryland's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 24 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Baltimore and Charles carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Maryland ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.