Natural hazards · Hagerstown

Hagerstown, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hagerstown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hagerstown?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hagerstown to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding54%Hurricanes15%Tornadoes8%Earthquakes7%Heat waves7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Hagerstown faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 12% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Hagerstown flood?

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

19paid claims since 1979

$234Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Hagerstown

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HagerstownDeclared for Washington County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

31 households applied for aid $32K aid approved

Washington County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Hagerstown

Hagerstown and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Funkstownmostly inland floodingLow

Paramount-Long Meadowmostly inland floodingLow

Robinwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Hagerstownmostly inland floodingVery low

Fountainhead-Orchard Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low

Halfwaymostly 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. Hagerstown covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hagerstown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hagerstown. 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 Hagerstown total about $5.6M 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.