Natural hazards · Wheaton

Wheaton, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wheaton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 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 Wheaton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wheaton to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding47%Heat waves13%Earthquakes12%Hurricanes8%Cold waves7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Wheaton faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Wheaton flood?

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

18paid claims since 1978

$53Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $6K
Hurricane Isaias: 1 claim, $2K
Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $319

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.

Disasters that hit Wheaton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WheatonDeclared for Montgomery County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

4 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

Montgomery County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Wheaton

Wheaton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Kensingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Kemp Millmostly inland floodingVery low

North Kensingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Forest Glenmostly inland floodingVery low

Wheatonmostly inland floodingVery low

Glenmontmostly inland floodingVery low

Colesvillemostly inland floodingVery low

Aspen Hillmostly inland floodingVery low

North Bethesdamostly 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. Wheaton covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wheaton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Wheaton. 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 Wheaton total about $4.4M 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.