Caroline County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Caroline County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 45.7 of 100, higher than 45% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 747 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 92.7 | $1.7M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 88.2 | $4.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.8 | $765K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 63.9 | $90K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $97K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.7 | $459K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 53.4 | $198K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.9 | $787K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 43.2 | $160K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 38.3 | $42K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 34.6 | $125K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52.8 | $275K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 26.6 | $2.7M |
| Tornado | Very Low | 24.1 | $295K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 15.8 | $60 |
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 | 166 | 1 | $543K | 17th of 23 | 523rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 141 | 0 | $321K | 11th of 23 | 151st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 109 | 0 | $480K | 3rd of 23 | 52nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 80 | 2 | – | 4th of 23 | 45th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 60 | 0 | – | 3rd of 23 | 49th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 53 | 0 | – | 4th of 23 | 31st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 34 | 0 | $15M | 21st of 23 | 831st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 0 | – | 15th of 23 | 225th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 16 | 0 | $102K | 22nd of 23 | 2530th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $91K | 13th of 23 | 280th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 0 | $636K | 14th of 23 | 1793rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $1.8M | 10th of 23 | 372nd of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | – | 5th of 23 | 126th of 2,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 5th of 23 | 428th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Caroline County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.