Baltimore County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Baltimore County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 94.0 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, lightning, heat wave. Its storm record holds 1,674 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.7 | $2.7M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.0 | $3.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.2 | $43M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.8 | $3.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.9 | $67M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 89.3 | $7.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | $14M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.4 | $8.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86.0 | $1.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $1.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 80.4 | $4.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.8 | $1.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.1 | $223K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 74.1 | $9K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 39.5 | $27K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 9.9 | $8 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 646 | 2 | $9.9M | 12th of 23 | 172nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 484 | 2 | $17M | 5th of 23 | 75th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 174 | 2 | – | 21st of 23 | 887th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 146 | 0 | $78K | 3rd of 23 | 924th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 45 | 16 | – | 18th of 23 | 499th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 44 | 0 | – | 19th of 23 | 533rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 0 | $96M | 9th of 23 | 803rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 1 | $1K | 23rd of 23 | 1967th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 14 | 1 | $1.7M | 15th of 23 | 334th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | – | 21st of 23 | 502nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $470K | 18th of 23 | 812th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Baltimore County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.