Natural hazards · Oxford

Oxford, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oxford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 165 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oxford?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oxford to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding21%Hurricanes20%Coastal flooding19%Drought14%Heat waves9%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Oxford faces

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

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Coastal flooding

19% of expected damage

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

Drought

14% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Oxford flood?

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

165paid claims since 1979

$4.2Mpaid to owners

18homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isabel: 99 claims, $2.7M
Hurricane Fran: 15 claims, $180K
Hurricane Floyd: 2 claims, $14K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Oxford is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Talbot County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

16homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Oxford

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OxfordDeclared for Talbot County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$31K to the Town of Oxford for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$11K to the Town of Oxford for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$8K to the Town of Oxford for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$3K to the Town of Oxford for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

101 households applied for aid $258K aid approved $15K to the Town of Oxford for repairs

Talbot County has had 16 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. Oxford 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 Oxford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Oxford. 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.