St. Martins Church · Photo: Linda Roy Walls · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Ocean Pines’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 65% of U.S. towns, led by hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ocean Pines gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns, #251 of 261 in Maryland. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (46%), then river and rain flooding (33%). Flood insurance has paid 124 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 stands out about Ocean Pines’ natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Ocean Pines faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Coastal flooding
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 Ocean Pines’ grade
Hurricanes are 46% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ocean Pines, and Ocean Pines’ rate of hurricanes damage is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 17%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #251 of 261 in Maryland; lower expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Ocean Pines’ residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Maryland town has lower expected damage than 97% of U.S. towns; within the state, Ocean Pines has more expected damage per building than 96% of Maryland towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.1M a year in losses across Ocean Pines: $2.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Ocean Pines flood? Yes: 124 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ocean Pines, from FEMA’s records: 13.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 79% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Sandy13 claims · $142K
- Hurricane Gloria8 claims · $102K
- Hurricane Irene2 claims · $20K
Ocean Pines isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Worcester County.The storms Ocean Pines remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Worcester County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ocean Pines itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 199847 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 201215 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Sandy, declared for Worcester County
- 198512 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Worcester County has had 9 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 Ocean Pines after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ocean Pines archive →Ocean Pines and its neighbors
Ocean Pines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Pines | B+less damage than 65% | hurricanes | 124 |
| West Ocean City | C+more damage than 57% | coastal flooding | 208 |
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 Ocean Pines faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- 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 Ocean Pines
Is Ocean Pines at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ocean Pines has lower expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #251 of 261 in Maryland. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (46%) and river and rain flooding (33%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Ocean Pines flood?
Flood insurance has paid 124 claims in Ocean Pines since 1978, $718K in all, or 13.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 79% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (13).
Is Ocean Pines 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 Worcester County, 23.9% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Ocean Pines?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ocean Pines’ 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 Ocean Pines?
By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 13 paid, $142K.
Is Ocean Pines at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (46%), and Ocean Pines’ rate for it is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ocean Pines.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ocean Pines’ 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.