Natural disaster risk in Charles County, Maryland
Maryland · population 166,485 · FIPS 24017
Overall: relatively low risk
Charles County has a composite risk score of 44.1 out of 100 — higher than 44% of US counties. It ranks 18 of 24 in Maryland (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are heat wave, strong wind, lightning.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 42.65% of Charles County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Charles County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 44.1 |
| Expected annual loss About $22.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 64.4 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 10.6 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 88.3 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Charles County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Heat wave | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 77 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 74 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 72 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 71 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 78 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 68 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively low 52 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 50 |
| Hail | Relatively low 43 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 39 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 29 |
| Landslide | Very low 61 |
| Wildfire | Very low 19 |
| Cold wave | Very low 17 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Charles County
Federal declarations that designated Charles County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Charles County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3634-MD (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3634-MD | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Maryland, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Charles County, Maryland?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Charles County as relatively low, with a score of 44.1 out of 100 (higher than 44% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Charles County?
The hazards rated highest for Charles County are heat wave (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Charles County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Charles County as relatively low, and coastal flooding risk as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Charles County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Charles County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3634-MD (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
Is Charles County in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 42.65% of Charles County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Every county in Maryland, ranked · All states · Disasters near me