Natural hazards · Hancock

Hancock, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hancock comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1985. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hancock?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hancock to be higher than in 9% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes11%Heat waves5%Tornadoes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Hancock faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 22 years in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 46 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Hancock flood?

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

23paid claims since 1985

$517Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19852026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 7 claims, $73K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hancock 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Hancock

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HancockDeclared for Washington County only

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$36K to the Town of Hancock for repairs

2003

Snow

$3K to the Town of Hancock for repairs

Washington County has had 14 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. Hancock is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hancock’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hancock. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.