Natural hazards · Maryland

Maryland, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Maryland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2009. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Maryland?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Maryland to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes17%Cold waves12%Hail8%Drought8%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Maryland 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 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Drought

8% of expected damage

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Maryland flood?

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

1paid claims since 2009

$10Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20092026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ogle County.

Disasters that hit Maryland

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MarylandDeclared for Ogle County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$2K to the Township of Maryland for repairs

Ogle County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Maryland

Maryland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Leaf Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

Ridottmostly inland floodingLow

Marylandmostly inland floodingVery low

Mount Morrismostly inland floodingVery low

Forrestonmostly 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. Maryland covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Maryland’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Maryland. 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 Maryland total about $2.5M 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.