370 flood insurance claims·$3.9M paid·5 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 Washington 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.
Washington County, Maryland experiences flood risk dominated by standard floods and flash floods, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 73 flood events and 45 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy precipitation events drive this activity, as demonstrated on May 14, 2025, when a slow-moving closed upper-level low brought anomalous moisture from the Gulf of America. This system produced rain rates exceeding two inches an hour and localized rainfall totals of four to eight inches across western Maryland within a six-hour period, resulting in flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties in designated flood zones face varying levels of impact. Zone A carries the highest concentration of risk with 262 claims, an average payout of $14,685, and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Properties in Zone X_SHADED recorded 33 claims with an average payout of $17,614 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X accounts for 29 claims averaging $12,949 with an average depth of 6 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 38 claims with an average payout of $6,185 and an average water depth of 4 inches, and the unknown zone logged 6 claims averaging $1,546 with an average depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, which accounts for the vast majority of historical flood insurance claims and deeper average water accumulation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
21% of Washington County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
335 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 8 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 1996, with 160 claims and $2.2M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
43 NOAA storm reports from Washington County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Maryland flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 15, 2018 |
| 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 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Sep 18, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
118 since 1996: 45 flash floods and 73 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 14, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Sep 7, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 7, 2022 | — |
| Flood | May 7, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Sep 23, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 15, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Sep 15, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 14, 2025. A slow moving closed upper level low originating from the Gulf of America brought anomalous moisture into the area. A long duration period of rain ensued, with rain rates exceeding two inches an hour during the afternoon of May 13th. The slow moving storms coupled with training led to localized rainfall totals of four to eight inches across western Maryland, with lesser amounts of two to four inches across central…
Flash Flood · Jul 22, 2024. Heavy showers and thunderstorms ahead of a cold front led to flash flooding for portions of Washington County in Maryland.
Flood · Sep 7, 2022. A slow moving front caused showers and thunderstorms to develop. Deep moisture caused heavy rainfall, and with the slower movement of storms this led to instances of flooding and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Sep 7, 2022. A slow moving front caused showers and thunderstorms to develop. Deep moisture caused heavy rainfall, and with the slower movement of storms this led to instances of flooding and flash flooding.
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 Washington 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.