Natural hazards · Ocean

Ocean, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ocean comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,022 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ocean?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ocean to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes33%Coastal flooding31%Inland flooding27%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Ocean faces

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

Hurricanes

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Coastal flooding

31% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ocean flood?

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

1,022paid claims since 1978

$12.3Mpaid to owners

37homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 294 claims, $5.3M
Hurricane Gloria: 247 claims, $2.8M
Hurricane Isabel: 1 claim, $50K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Ocean is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Worcester County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6buildings retrofitted against wind

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Ocean

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OceanDeclared for Worcester County only

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$174K to the Town of Ocean for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$689K to the Town of Ocean for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$105K to the Town of Ocean for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

7 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $233K to the Town of Ocean for repairs

Worcester County has had 10 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. Ocean covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ocean’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Ocean. 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 Ocean total about $8.4M 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.