Natural Disaster Risk in Hyattsville

Natural Hazard Profile: Hyattsville, Maryland

Located along the mid-Atlantic coast in Prince George's County, Hyattsville is a city of 50,333 residents. The humid subtropical climate that characterizes this part of Maryland — marked by warm summers, mild winters, and coastal storm exposure — directly influences the types and severity of natural hazards present, making Hyattsville a community where hazard awareness has real practical value.

Hyattsville's overall natural disaster risk is rated 8.3/10 (Very High) by FEMA's National Risk Index. Frequent lightning strikes from an active thunderstorm environment represent the top natural hazard risk, posing safety concerns and causing fire ignitions and power outages. Secondary hazards include winter and heat.

Relative to other U.S. communities, Hyattsville's natural disaster risk is well above the U.S. national average of 4.5/10, considerably above the 6.5/10 state average. The hazard distribution here is led by lightning and winter, as measured by FEMA across Prince George's County. While city-specific sub-county variation exists, these scores represent the best available federal risk estimate.

Given Hyattsville's very high risk classification, residents should treat disaster preparedness as a year-round priority. This means maintaining updated homeowners and flood insurance, building a 72-hour emergency kit, knowing the evacuation routes for the primary hazards, and signing up for local emergency alert systems.