Washington County, Maryland: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 68.8 of 100, higher than 68% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,139 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 85.8 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 85.7 | $4.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $217K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.2 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.1 | $14M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.6 | $491K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 67.9 | $881K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.5 | $15K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.5 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 66.9 | $473K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $1.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.8 | $465K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 30.7 | $32K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 38.2 | $22K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 34.1 | $139 |
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 | 411 | 0 | $4.4M | 14th of 23 | 191st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 216 | 0 | $74K | 10th of 23 | 137th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 118 | 0 | $39M | 13th of 23 | 466th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 113 | 0 | $33K | 5th of 23 | 984th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 62 | 0 | $1.8M | 4th of 23 | 99th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 0 | $1.9M | 10th of 23 | 317th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 46 | 0 | – | 14th of 23 | 280th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | – | 17th of 23 | 255th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 0 | $3.1M | 16th of 23 | 1839th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | $38M | 11th of 23 | 1456th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $230K | 18th of 23 | 541st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 9th of 23 | 845th 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 Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.