Natural hazards · Bowie

Bowie, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bowie comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1982. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bowie?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bowie to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding49%Heat waves11%Tornadoes10%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Bowie faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bowie flood?

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

6paid claims since 1982

$19Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaias: 1 claim, $6K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Prince George's County.

Disasters that hit Bowie

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BowieDeclared for Prince George's County only

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$271K to the City of Bowie for repairs

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$242K to the City of Bowie for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$41K to the City of Bowie for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$209K to the City of Bowie for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

125 households applied for aid $125K aid approved $128K to the City of Bowie for repairs

2003

Snow

$115K to the City of Bowie for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$83K to the City of Bowie for repairs

Prince George's County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Bowie

Bowie and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ketteringmostly inland floodingVery low

Woodmoremostly inland floodingVery low

Brock Hallmostly inland floodingVery low

Fairwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Glenn Dalemostly inland floodingVery low

Bowiemostly inland floodingVery low

Queen Annemostly 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. Bowie covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bowie’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bowie. 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 Bowie total about $3.9M 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.