Cecil County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cecil County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 58.6 of 100, higher than 58% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, winter weather, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,043 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 | 92.8 | $2.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.1 | $375K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.3 | $1.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 66.4 | $209K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 60.9 | $396K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 78.3 | $1.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.3 | $1.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 70.7 | $953K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 60.8 | $11M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.6 | $391K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.7 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 48.6 | $1.4M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 57.8 | $3K |
| Hail | Very Low | 32.2 | $150K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.3 | $12K |
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 | 329 | 2 | $3.1M | 6th of 23 | 93rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 182 | 0 | $1.9M | 4th of 23 | 99th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 114 | 0 | $1.1M | 4th of 23 | 61st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 102 | 0 | $12M | 7th of 23 | 135th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 81 | 2 | – | 5th of 23 | 54th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 52 | 0 | – | 5th of 23 | 102nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 46 | 0 | – | 5th of 23 | 45th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 35 | 0 | – | 15th of 23 | 2145th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 0 | – | 12th of 23 | 186th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $954K | 5th of 23 | 94th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 0 | $11M | 7th of 23 | 756th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 0 | – | 1st of 23 | 199th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $1.7M | 14th of 23 | 442nd of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | – | 6th of 23 | 130th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cecil County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.