Howard County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Howard County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 72.4 of 100, higher than 72% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, strong wind, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,172 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 | 92.7 | $845K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.0 | $3.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.1 | $1.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.3 | $4.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $30M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 75.0 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 81.2 | $3.7M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77.5 | $2.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $1.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 59.2 | $217K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 53.2 | $1.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 42.2 | $1.6M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 52.1 | $3K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 20.4 | $632 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 15.6 | $9K |
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 | 350 | 0 | $4.1M | 3rd of 23 | 42nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 279 | 0 | $1.0M | 2nd of 23 | 32nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 167 | 4 | $40M | 4th of 23 | 55th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 73 | 0 | $96K | 1st of 23 | 34th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 62 | 3 | – | 8th of 23 | 81st of 3,076 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $21K | 6th of 23 | 993rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 42 | 0 | $2.9M | 6th of 23 | 187th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 0 | $12M | 3rd of 23 | 169th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 0 | – | 9th of 23 | 110th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | $8.5M | 7th of 23 | 989th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $1.5M | 10th of 23 | 240th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $667K | 13th of 23 | 430th 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 Howard County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.