Frederick County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Frederick County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.2 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,624 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.6 | $645K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.2 | $1.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | $3.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $32M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.4 | $2.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | $1.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.0 | $898K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 67.2 | $3.5M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 79.3 | $2.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 74.6 | $1.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.8 | $7K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 53.8 | $151K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.3 | $710K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 27.6 | $19K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 21.5 | $66 |
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 | 629 | 0 | $6.2M | 15th of 23 | 226th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 311 | 6 | $93M | 9th of 23 | 201st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 236 | 1 | $483K | 15th of 23 | 237th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 86 | 0 | $31K | 12th of 23 | 1848th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 65 | 0 | $206K | 11th of 23 | 171st of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 63 | 2 | $2.6M | 13th of 23 | 376th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 46 | 2 | – | 17th of 23 | 402nd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 38 | 0 | $7.2M | 8th of 23 | 793rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 23 | 2 | $2.3M | 9th of 23 | 221st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 2 | – | 19th of 23 | 308th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | $45M | 15th of 23 | 1702nd of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $7K | 19th of 23 | 837th 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 Frederick County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.