Harford County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Harford County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 72.5 of 100, higher than 72% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,498 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 | 94.0 | $976K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.9 | $5.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $3.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.8 | $1.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.4 | $30M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 78.0 | $2.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.5 | $994K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 69.9 | $3.5M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.1 | $2.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 55.5 | $180K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 47.8 | $109K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.7 | $1.2M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 49.9 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 19.0 | $12K |
| Hail | Very Low | 10.2 | $54K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 4.1 | $3 |
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 | 582 | 1 | $5.0M | 8th of 23 | 122nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 289 | 3 | $106K | 8th of 23 | 120th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 236 | 2 | $6.5M | 8th of 23 | 160th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 84 | 0 | $911K | 9th of 23 | 1312th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 75 | 0 | – | 5th of 23 | 115th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 66 | 3 | – | 12th of 23 | 228th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 36 | 0 | $1.7M | 16th of 23 | 517th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 0 | $14M | 12th of 23 | 865th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 19 | 1 | $1.4M | 7th of 23 | 188th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | – | 18th of 23 | 296th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 7 | 0 | $7.6M | 16th of 23 | 1778th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $23M | 15th of 23 | 445th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 8th of 23 | 819th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Harford County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.