Natural hazards · Cordova

Cordova, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cordova comes from drought, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cordova?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cordova to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and inland flooding.

Drought31%Inland flooding21%Hurricanes21%Heat waves10%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Cordova faces

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

Drought

31% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 4% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Cordova flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Cordova.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Talbot County.

Disasters that hit Cordova

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CordovaDeclared for Talbot County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

3 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Talbot County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

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. Cordova covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cordova’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Cordova. 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 Cordova total about $1.8M 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.