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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Sharpsburg · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Sharpsburg

Sharpsburg isn’t graded for hazard risk: Sharpsburg has 585 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1984.

Flood claims
7
paid since 1984 · $74K
Flooded more than once
3
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
3
of 13 declared for Washington County
By hazard

What Sharpsburg 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

77%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Cold waves Ice storms Lightning Wildfire Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 13% of Sharpsburg’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Sharpsburg flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1984

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sharpsburg, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1984: 2 claims1985: 3 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 2 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198419851996
19842026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Fran1 claim · $10K
7
paid claims since 1984
$74K
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$11K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Sharpsburg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Washington County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Sharpsburg

Disasters that paid out in Sharpsburg itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Sharpsburg), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$5K to the Town of Sharpsburg for repairs
  2. 2010Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms$4K to the Town of Sharpsburg for repairs
  3. 2003Snow$4K to the Town of Sharpsburg for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SharpsburgWashington County only

Washington County has had 13 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Sharpsburg after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Sharpsburg archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Sharpsburg faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Sharpsburg

Does Sharpsburg flood?

Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Sharpsburg since 1984, $74K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Fran (1).

Is Sharpsburg 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 Washington County, 44% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Sharpsburg?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sharpsburg’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 Sharpsburg?

By FEMA money that reached Sharpsburg, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (2016): $5K to the Town of Sharpsburg for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Fran: 1 paid, $10K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sharpsburg.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sharpsburg’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.