Charles County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Charles County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 44.1 of 100, higher than 44% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,022 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | $2.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 77.3 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 74.0 | $924K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.4 | $965K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $218K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 78.0 | $2.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 68.3 | $1.2M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $274K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 50.6 | $11M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 43.3 | $326K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 39.4 | $82K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 29.2 | $785K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.3 | $5K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 19.2 | $11K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 17.6 | $298K |
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 | 457 | 1 | $9.8M | 9th of 23 | 139th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 121 | 0 | $7K | 18th of 23 | 457th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 97 | 0 | $1.2M | 10th of 23 | 1464th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 90 | 0 | $887K | 14th of 23 | 576th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 79 | 0 | – | 9th of 23 | 134th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 0 | $5K | 17th of 23 | 277th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 1 | $193M | 4th of 23 | 463rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 25 | 0 | $1.8M | 17th of 23 | 796th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 0 | – | 16th of 23 | 213th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | $3.0M | 12th of 23 | 1457th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $139K | 16th of 23 | 479th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $14M | 12th of 23 | 412th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | $41K | 9th of 23 | 174th 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 Charles County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.