Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, DC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 227 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 1% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding45%Earthquakes21%Heat waves14%Hurricanes10%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Washington faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 4% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Heat waves

14% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Washington flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Washington, from FEMA’s records.

227paid claims since 1978

$3.5Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 5 claims, $25K
Tropical Storm Ophelia: 2 claims, $7K
Hurricane Sandy: 2 claims, $17K

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Washington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: the county.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Washington

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Washington itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Washington.

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for the county only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

1,625 households applied for aid $950K aid approved

the county has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Alexandriamostly inland floodingModerate

Arlingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Brookmontmostly inland floodingVery low

Silver Springmostly inland floodingVery low

Takoma Parkmostly inland floodingVery low

Bethesdamostly inland floodingVery low

Washingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Washington covers 206 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Washington. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Washington total about $292M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.