Carroll County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Carroll County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 59.5 of 100, higher than 59% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,149 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.3 | $4.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.9 | $454K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 77.9 | $1.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 74.6 | $1.1M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 77.0 | $2.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 75.2 | $1.8M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 67.6 | $1.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 66.7 | $18M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 57.7 | $538K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 43.9 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 36.4 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 31.0 | $52K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.9 | $4K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 14.0 | $7K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 8.8 | $9 |
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 | 419 | 2 | $39M | 13th of 23 | 185th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 232 | 0 | $321K | 5th of 23 | 102nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 149 | 1 | $3.2M | 11th of 23 | 273rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 71 | 0 | $148K | 11th of 23 | 1635th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 52 | 0 | $96K | 6th of 23 | 127th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 0 | $1.4M | 12th of 23 | 353rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 38 | 2 | – | 15th of 23 | 348th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 0 | $34M | 6th of 23 | 556th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 14 | 0 | $599K | 8th of 23 | 212th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 0 | – | 20th of 23 | 356th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 7 | 0 | $10M | 17th of 23 | 1786th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $66K | 20th of 23 | 896th 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 Carroll County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.