Natural hazards · Capitol Heights

Capitol Heights, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Capitol Heights comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Capitol Heights?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Capitol Heights to be higher than in 2% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding44%Heat waves13%Tornadoes12%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Capitol Heights faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% 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 56% 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 Capitol Heights flood?

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

6paid claims since 1979

$21Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 1 claim, $3K

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Capitol Heights 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 Capitol Heights

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Capitol HeightsDeclared for Prince George's County only

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$11K to the Town of Capitol Heights for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

259 households applied for aid $233K aid approved

2003

Snow

$5K to the Town of Capitol Heights for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$4K to the Town of Capitol Heights for repairs

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

Around Capitol Heights

Capitol Heights and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Maryland Parkmostly inland floodingVery low

Capitol Heightsmostly inland floodingVery low

Walker Millmostly inland floodingVery low

Coral Hillsmostly 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. Capitol Heights covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Capitol Heights’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Capitol Heights. 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 Capitol Heights total about $806K 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.