Natural hazards · Williamsport

Williamsport, MD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Williamsport comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 39 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Williamsport?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Williamsport to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding49%Hurricanes19%Tornadoes7%Earthquakes7%Drought5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Williamsport faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Drought

5% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Williamsport flood?

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

39paid claims since 1979

$711Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 4 claims, $106K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Williamsport

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WilliamsportDeclared for Washington County only

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$29K to the Town of Williamsport for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$56K to the Town of Williamsport for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

2 households applied for aid $5K to the Town of Williamsport for repairs

2003

Snow

$16K to the Town of Williamsport for repairs

Washington County has had 14 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. Williamsport 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 Williamsport’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Williamsport. 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.