Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Washington Grove
Washington Grove isn’t graded for hazard risk: Washington Grove has 577 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Washington Grove 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
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.
Does Washington Grove flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Washington Grove. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Washington Grove isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Montgomery County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Washington Grove
Disasters that paid out in Washington Grove itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Washington Grove), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds$15K to the Town of Washington Grove for repairs
- 2010Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms$5K to the Town of Washington Grove for repairs
- 2009Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the Town of Washington Grove for repairs
- 2003Hurricane Isabel4 households applied for aid$10K to the Town of Washington Grove for repairs
- 2003Snow$3K to the Town of Washington Grove for repairs
Montgomery County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Washington Grove after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Washington Grove archive →Washington Grove and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaithersburg | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Redland | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 3 |
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 Washington Grove 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.
- 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 Washington Grove
Is Washington Grove 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 Montgomery County, 51% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Washington Grove?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Washington Grove’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 Washington Grove?
By FEMA money that reached Washington Grove, Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds (2012): $15K to the Town of Washington Grove for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Washington Grove.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Washington Grove’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.