Natural hazards · Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chevy Chase 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.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chevy Chase?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chevy Chase to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Hurricanes9%Heat waves6%Earthquakes5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Chevy Chase faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Chevy Chase flood?

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

6paid claims since 1979

$29Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 1 claim, $1K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Chevy Chase 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 Chevy Chase

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Montgomery County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Chevy Chase itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Chevy ChaseDeclared for Montgomery County only

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

Around Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Kensingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Martin's Additionsmostly inland floodingVery low

Chevy Chasemostly inland floodingVery low

Chevy Chase Section Fivemostly inland floodingVery low

Silver Springmostly inland floodingVery low

Bethesdamostly inland floodingVery low

Chevy Chasemostly 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. Chevy Chase covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chevy Chase’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Chevy Chase. 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 Chevy Chase total about $1.5M 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.