Natural hazards · Burtonsville

Burtonsville, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burtonsville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2014. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Burtonsville?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding55%Hurricanes11%Heat waves10%Cold waves6%Earthquakes5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Burtonsville faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Burtonsville flood?

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

1paid claims since 2014

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20142026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $7K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Burtonsville 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 Burtonsville

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurtonsvilleDeclared for Montgomery County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

15 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

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

Around Burtonsville

Burtonsville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cloverlymostly inland floodingVery low

Scaggsvillemostly inland floodingVery low

Fairlandmostly inland floodingVery low

Burtonsvillemostly inland floodingVery low

Ashton-Sandy Springmostly inland floodingVery low

Spencervillemostly inland floodingVery low

West Laurelmostly inland floodingVery low

Konterramostly 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. Burtonsville covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Burtonsville’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Burtonsville. 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 Burtonsville total about $1.6M 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.