Natural hazards · Berlin

Berlin, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berlin comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 2012. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berlin?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berlin to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes52%Inland flooding22%Cold waves13%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Berlin faces

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

Hurricanes

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Berlin flood?

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

14paid claims since 2012

$196Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20122026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 4 claims, $56K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Worcester County.

Disasters that hit Berlin

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerlinDeclared for Worcester County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$15K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$39K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

6 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $15K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

Worcester County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

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. Berlin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berlin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Berlin. 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 Berlin total about $1.0M 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.