1,073 flood insurance claims·$15.0M paid·4 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from severe weather and storms pushes water into Queen Anne's County, with NOAA records showing 32 flash flood events, 10 general flood events, and 10 coastal flood events over the last 30 years. Tropical storms have also impacted the area, resulting in one death across four recorded events. Recent coastal flooding events driven by low pressure systems and onshore winds pushed water up the Chesapeake Bay in October 2021 and January 2024, while severe thunderstorms dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain in September 2021.
Federal flood insurance data demonstrates risk across multiple zones. Properties in Zone A have experienced the highest volume of National Flood Insurance Program claims with 825 filings, averaging a payout of $21,090 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X recorded 103 claims with an average payout of $12,564 and an average recorded water depth of 17 inches. Shaded and unshaded Zone X areas recorded additional claims with average water depths of 8 inches and 5 inches, respectively.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A and Zone X, where historical claims demonstrate both frequent occurrences and significant standing water depths during flood events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Queen Anne's County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
933 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 7 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2003, with 699 claims and $12.0M paid, the year of Snow and Hurricane Isabel.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
13 NOAA storm reports from Queen Anne's County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Maryland flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 22, 2016 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Sep 18, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
57 since 1996: 32 flash floods, 10 river or area floods and 11 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood | Oct 30, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 29, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Coastal Flood · Oct 30, 2025. An area of low pressure moving through Maryland resulted in southerly flow and a push of water up the Chesapeake Bay. This resulted in some moderate tidal flooding around the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Coastal Flood · Jan 10, 2024. A strong system affected the region with steady southerly flow pushing water up into coastal communities both along the ocean and within the Delaware River/Bay and Chesapeake Bay. Water levels on the tidal Delaware River were higher due to 2 to 4+ inches of rainfall.
Coastal Flood · Oct 29, 2021. Strong high pressure located in eastern Canada and slow moving low pressure approaching from the southeastern states resulted in a prolonged onshore flow along the Middle Atlantic coast. Moderate tidal flooding occurred along the upper eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay on the night of October 29.
Flash Flood · Sep 23, 2021. Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rain in northeastern Maryland on the morning of September 23. Rainfall totals were as high as 3 to 5 inches.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Queen Anne's County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.