Natural hazards · West Laurel

West Laurel, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Laurel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Laurel?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Laurel to be higher than in 1% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Hurricanes12%Tornadoes9%Heat waves9%Earthquakes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What West Laurel faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

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

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 West Laurel flood?

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

1paid claims since 2011

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $3K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Prince George's County.

Disasters that hit West Laurel

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Prince George's County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Laurel itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into West LaurelDeclared for Prince George's County only

Prince George's County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around West Laurel

West Laurel and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Scaggsvillemostly inland floodingVery low

Burtonsvillemostly inland floodingVery low

West Laurelmostly inland floodingVery low

Konterramostly inland floodingVery low

Laurelmostly 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. West Laurel covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Laurel’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to West Laurel. 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 West Laurel total about $685K 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.