Natural hazards · Greenbelt

Greenbelt, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Greenbelt comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 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 Greenbelt?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Greenbelt to be higher than in 6% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding52%Heat waves12%Tornadoes11%Hurricanes9%Earthquakes5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Greenbelt faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

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

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% 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 Greenbelt flood?

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

3paid claims since 1979

$14Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Greenbelt 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 Greenbelt

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

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

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$106K to the City of Greenbelt for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

15 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $46K to the City of Greenbelt for repairs

2003

Snow

$34K to the City of Greenbelt for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$27K to the City of Greenbelt for repairs

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

Around Greenbelt

Greenbelt and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Riverdale Parkmostly inland floodingModerate

Berwyn Heightsmostly inland floodingVery low

New Carrolltonmostly inland floodingVery low

Seabrookmostly inland floodingVery low

East Riverdalemostly inland floodingVery low

Greenbeltmostly inland floodingVery low

College Parkmostly 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. Greenbelt covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Greenbelt’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Greenbelt. 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 Greenbelt total about $2.4M 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.