Dorchester County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dorchester County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 53.8 of 100, higher than 53% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 446 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 91.2 | $5.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 85.4 | $3.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $887K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.2 | $517K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 63.0 | $587K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 45.7 | $62K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 44.9 | $48K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 44.8 | $687K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 44.1 | $409K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 37.0 | $126K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 31.0 | $477K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 53.4 | $289K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 21.6 | $2.3M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 10.7 | $28 |
| Hail | Very Low | 8.4 | $22K |
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 | 143 | 0 | $2.5M | 20th of 23 | 1429th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 0 | $38K | 22nd of 23 | 898th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 84 | 0 | $2.7M | 16th of 23 | 597th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 39 | 0 | $3K | 21st of 23 | 2524th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 35 | 0 | – | 15th of 23 | 191st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 0 | $1.6M | 21st of 23 | 1618th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 1 | $15M | 15th of 23 | 1838th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 0 | $3.4M | 6th of 23 | 318th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 21st of 23 | 1524th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 23rd of 23 | 2035th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $292K | 21st of 23 | 1146th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 1 | 0 | $3.6M | 21st of 23 | 2402nd of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Dorchester County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.