U.S. Naval Academy · Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Navy · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Naval Academy than almost anywhere in the U.S., led by river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Naval Academy gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #1 of 261 in Maryland. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (41%), then hurricanes (28%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1978.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Naval Academy faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Tornadoes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Naval Academy’s grade
River and rain flooding is 41% of the building damage FEMA expects in Naval Academy, and Naval Academy’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is among the lowest of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 6%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ #1 of 261 in Maryland; among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Naval Academy’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Maryland town has lower expected damage than 97% of U.S. towns; within the state, Naval Academy has less expected damage per building than 100% of Maryland towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $167K a year in losses across Naval Academy: $139K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Naval Academy flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Naval Academy, from FEMA’s records: 35.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 90% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Debby1 claim · $72K
Naval Academy isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Anne Arundel County.The storms Naval Academy remembers
None of the 19 disasters declared for Anne Arundel County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Naval Academy itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20242 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19781 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19801 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Anne Arundel County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Naval Academy after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Naval Academy archive →Naval Academy and its neighbors
Naval Academy has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Academy | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Annapolis | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 127 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Naval Academy faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Naval Academy
Is Naval Academy at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Naval Academy has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #1 of 261 in Maryland. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (41%) and hurricanes (28%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Naval Academy flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Naval Academy since 1978, $546K in all, or 35.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 90% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Debby (1).
Is Naval Academy in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Anne Arundel County, 2.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Naval Academy?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Naval Academy’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Naval Academy?
By flood claims, Hurricane Debby: 1 paid, $72K.
Is Naval Academy at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (41%), and Naval Academy’s rate for it is among the lowest of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Naval Academy.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Naval Academy’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.