Calvert County, MD Environment & Hazard Risk

• HurricaneRelatively Moderate$4M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
• LandslideRelatively Low$9,277/yr expected annual loss, about once every 7 years
• Heat waveRelatively Low$1.5M/yr expected annual loss, about 6.4 events a year
• DroughtRelatively Moderate$725K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
• LightningRelatively Moderate$559K/yr expected annual loss, about 39 events a year
• Coastal floodingRelatively Low$754K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively Low$121K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.8 events a year
• WildfireVery Low$91.4K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,341 years
• EarthquakeVery Low$467K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 917 years
• Strong windRelatively Low$894K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.6 events a year
• Ice stormRelatively Low$87.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
• HailVery Low$183K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
• Cold waveRelatively Low$603K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
• TornadoVery Low$315K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

699 of 35,014 (2.0%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

560

Insured in high-risk zones

354 (63%)

Flood claims since 1978

559

Claims paid since 1978

$9.6M

• Thunderstorm Wind281
• Winter Weather66 · 1 death
• Heat60 · 1 death
• Hail46
• Dense Fog45
• Winter Storm28
• Flood28
• Flash Flood23
• Frost/Freeze21
• High Wind17

• Blizzard01/07/1996

  Calvert

  150 injured, $10K damage

  What happened

  An historic winter storm, known as the "Blizzard of '96", crippled all of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay during the first full weekend of January. In general, snow totals were as follows: 20 inches in lower southern Maryland (MDZ016>018), 20 to 26 inches in central Maryland (MDZ009>011, 013), and 26 to 36 inches to over the northern tier (MDZ002>007). To complicate matters, winds gusting in excess of 35 mph produced drifts of 4 to 7 feet, except over 10 feet in the mountains. The storm produced the larges statewide storm totals since the "Megalopolitan Storm" of February 11th, 1983. Numerous 24-hour accumulation records were shattered at airports from southwest Virginia through New England; Baltimore/Washington International (BWI; MDZ011) nearly equalled its record of 22.8 inches in 24 hours (22.5 inches fell), set in 1983.The storm was induced by a digging upper level trough over the eastern Great Plains. At the surface, an inverted trough extended from the Gulf of Mexico through the Deep South. Surface pressures began falling as the upper trough approached on the afternoon of the 7th. Meanwhile, confluent flow, behind an upper-level arctic vortex over the Canadian...

• TornadoF2, 14 mi path, 200 yd wide04/29/2002

  Bowens, Calvert County

  2 deaths, $10M damage

  What happened

  A strong tornado crossed the Patuxent River from Charles County and moved east through central Calvert County. It tracked between Patuxent View and Western Shore Estates before moving onto the Chesapeake Bay.

• Tropical Storm09/18/2003

  Calvert

  $12.5M damage

  What happened

  On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall on the North Carolina Coast. Its huge wind field was already piling water up into the southern Chesapeake Bay. By the time Isabel moved into central Virginia, it had weakened and was downgraded to a tropical storm. Isabel's eye tracked well west of the bay, but the storm's 40 to 50 mph sustained winds pushed a bulge of water northward up the bay and its tributaries producing a record storm surge. The Maryland western shore counties of the Chesapeake Bay and along the tidal tributaries of the Potomac, Patuxent, Patapsco and other smaller rivers experience a storm surge reached 5 to 9 feet above normal tides. In many locations, Isabel's surge was higher than the previous record storm known as the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane of 1933. For coastal properties below 10 feet MSL exposed to wave action, much damage was wrought. Over 2000 people were evacuated from their homes. Maryland saw 472 homes and buildings destroyed, 3260 with major damage and over 3600 more affected. Extensive damage occurred to Maryland's shoreline which rarely sees storms of this intensity. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation estimates that 43,000 tons of silt...

• Winter Weather12/05/2003

  Calvert

  1 death

  What happened

  The first in a pair of low pressure systems tracked across the region on the 4th and 5th. This system brought light snowto portions of Lower Southern Maryland. Snow totals averaged 1 to 2 inches. Three fatalities were reported, two from shoveling snow and one from an automobile accident. Other minor, non life threatening injuries were also reported by the Emergency and Law Enforcement Officers.

• Heat07/18/2006

  Calvert

  1 death

  What happened

  A hot and very humid airmass seeped into the Mid Atlantic on July 17 and July 18. The heat index value climbed to around 105 degrees both afternoons. Emergency response officials reported sporadic incidents of heat-related illness, such as shortness of breath and heat exhaustion, around the Washington/Baltimore Metropolitan region. Three deaths were attributed directly to this heat wave. The deaths occurred in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC in the counties of Prince Georges, Calvert, and Carroll. Two additional deaths, also in the Maryland suburbs, were indirectly attributed to this heat wave, since they were related to pre-existing health conditions.

• Lightning07/04/2000

  Solomons, Calvert County

  1 death

  What happened

  A 37 year old man was killed by lightning while he was fixing a leak on the roof of a camper.

• Chesapeake Ranch EstatesServes 9,500 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
• Town of Chesapeake BeachServes 5,000 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Prince FrederickServes 4,371 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• SolomonsServes 3,811 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Town of North BeachServes 3,000 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting
• Beaches Water Co-OperativeServes 2,000 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
• Scientists CliffsServes 1,425 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Chesapeake Heights (Bayside Forest)Serves 1,190 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations