Natural hazards · Middle River

Middle River, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Middle River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 119 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Middle River?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Middle River to be higher than in 2% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding34%Heat waves33%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes7%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Middle River faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

33% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Middle River flood?

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

119paid claims since 1978

$3.1Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isabel: 62 claims, $2.4M
Hurricane Fran: 4 claims, $19K
Hurricane Gloria: 3 claims, $8K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Baltimore County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Middle River

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Middle RiverDeclared for Baltimore County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

933 households applied for aid $3.9M aid approved

Baltimore County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Middle River

Middle River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bowleys Quartersmostly inland floodingLow

Rosedalemostly inland floodingVery low

Essexmostly heat wavesVery low

White Marshmostly inland floodingVery low

Middle Rivermostly inland floodingVery low

Rossvillemostly 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. Middle River covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Middle River’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Middle River. 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 Middle River total about $5.1M 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.