Montgomery County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Montgomery County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 91.7 of 100, higher than 91% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, heat wave, strong wind. Its storm record holds 2,238 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 | Very High | 99.2 | $2.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.0 | $11M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.6 | $4.3M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.5 | $3.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.7 | $71M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.6 | $1.6M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.8 | $12M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.8 | $8.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.4 | $6.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 78.7 | $4.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 70.4 | $266K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.1 | $11K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.1 | $13K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 19.6 | $218 |
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 | 891 | 6 | $34M | 4th of 23 | 45th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 444 | 3 | $43M | 3rd of 23 | 49th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 290 | 2 | $5.2M | 12th of 23 | 155th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 191 | 0 | $235K | 1st of 23 | 507th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 76 | 1 | $142K | 7th of 23 | 137th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 70 | 8 | – | 13th of 23 | 236th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 60 | 0 | $7.9M | 11th of 23 | 336th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 42 | 1 | $13M | 3rd of 23 | 60th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 1 | $36K | 13th of 23 | 141st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 0 | $16M | 10th of 23 | 824th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | $31M | 10th of 23 | 1448th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $508K | 17th of 23 | 651st 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 Montgomery County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.