Natural hazards · Bethesda

Bethesda, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethesda comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 55 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bethesda?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethesda to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes8%Heat waves7%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Bethesda faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Bethesda flood?

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

55paid claims since 1979

$752Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $13K
Hurricane Ida: 4 claims, $169K
Hurricane Sandy: 2 claims, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.

Disasters that hit Bethesda

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BethesdaDeclared for Montgomery County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

22 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

Montgomery County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Bethesda

Bethesda and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Kensingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Chevy Chasemostly inland floodingVery low

Somersetmostly inland floodingVery low

Brookmontmostly inland floodingVery low

Glen Echomostly inland floodingVery low

Cabin Johnmostly inland floodingVery low

Potomacmostly inland floodingVery low

Chevy Chase Villagemostly inland floodingVery low

Bethesdamostly inland floodingVery low

Chevy Chasemostly inland floodingVery low

North Bethesdamostly inland floodingVery low

Friendship Heights Villagemostly 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. Bethesda covers 18 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bethesda’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bethesda. 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 Bethesda total about $10.7M 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.