How often floodwater reaches Gaithersburg homes
Census, FEMA and NOAA figures for the Gaithersburg area, and what to do with them.
In Gaithersburg, 31% of homes were built before 1980, compared with 52% across Maryland.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Written estimate before work starts
- Water removal, drying and repair
Your call, step by step
Call (833) 728-2327
Say what is wet, where the water came from and whether it is still running. The call is answered any hour.
Stop the source
If water is still coming in, you are walked through the shutoff valve or the breaker first.
Inspection and written estimate
The crew checks the water category, measures moisture in walls and floors, photographs the damage and writes the estimate before work starts.
Written for homeowners in the Gaithersburg area.
49% of homes in Gaithersburg are in buildings with five or more units.
What the flood figures say for Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg sits a little below Montgomery County on FEMA's flood measures. The National Risk Index puts the city's yearly inland flood loss at 35 per $100,000 of building value, against 39 for the county and 40 for Maryland. County FEMA flood insurance records show 0.6 claims per 1,000 homes from 2016 to 2025 and an average building payment of $12,789, and 0.8% of county homes carry federal flood insurance.
Storms still bring water. Montgomery County logged 88 days with flash flood or flood reports from 2016 to 2025 and has had 8 major disaster declarations for floods and storms since 2000, and NOAA climate normals show about 13 days a year with an inch of rain or more. The city also averages 32 inches of snow a year, against 19 for the county, so snowmelt on frozen ground can push water toward foundations and basement doors in late winter. With 49% of homes in buildings with 5 or more units, a flooded ground floor or garage can affect several households.
Snowmelt or storm water that gets in is Category 3, since it can carry soil, runoff and sewage. The restoration crew removes soaked materials and disinfects before drying. Homeowners and renters policies exclude it, and only flood insurance covers it. If water comes in from outside in the Gaithersburg area, ask whether water mitigation can save the slab and framing once the wet materials are out.
Flood and weather figures for Gaithersburg
About 69,225 people live in Gaithersburg; calls for its area come from 64 ZIP codes.
49% of homes in Gaithersburg are rented, against 35% across Montgomery County. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager about the leak right away.
With about 32 inches of snow a year in Gaithersburg's ZIP codes, snowmelt and ice along roof edges can push water into ceilings and walls.
In Gaithersburg, 3% of homes were built before 1950, when walls were often finished in plaster rather than drywall.
- 31% Homes built before 1980Montgomery County: 49%
- 49% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsMontgomery County: 33%
- 27,386 Housing units
- 49% Homes that are rentedMontgomery County: 35%
- 69,225 Residents
- 32 Average snowfall a year, in inchesMontgomery County: 19
- 3% Homes built before 1950Montgomery County: 9%
- 35 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueMontgomery County: 39
- 87 Nights a year at or below 32 degreesMontgomery County: 90
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.
Before the next storm in Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg averages 32 inches of snow a year, well above the county's 19, and 13 days with an inch of rain or more, so meltwater and storm runoff both test its foundations. Before spring, clear out the downspouts and extend them well clear of the walls, and fill any settled trench so soil slopes away from the house.
If you have a basement, test the sump pump with a bucket of water and add a battery backup for winter outages. Clear snow and leaves from window wells and cover them. Move papers, photos and electronics off the basement floor. Census figures show 14% of households moved in since 2021, so newer owners should check their address on the FEMA flood map. A new flood policy carries a 30-day waiting period, FEMA notes, before it takes effect, so do not wait for the forecast. With 49% of homes rented, tenants should know who in the building handles drains and should keep renters insurance.
Gaithersburg sees 87 nights a year at or below 32 degrees, so wrap pipes on outside walls before winter. When water gets in, shut off power to wet rooms, photograph it and call. Water mitigation starts with extraction and moisture readings in the walls and floor. For offices and shops, water damage restoration for businesses follows the same steps on a larger scale, and the line for the Gaithersburg area is answered 24/7.
Getting your paperwork ready in Gaithersburg
A few records make the days after a flood easier. Know your flood zone from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Keep a video walk-through of the house, room by room, stored online. Write down where the main water valve and the breaker panel are. Raise anything valuable off the basement floor, and keep sandbags or water barriers only where water actually enters. After a flood, photograph the water line on the walls before cleanup begins. Hardwood or laminate soaked by floodwater usually needs floor repair after water damage once it is dry.
What Gaithersburg callers ask about floods
What does a FEMA flood risk rating mean for my Gaithersburg home?
How do I keep storm water out of a Gaithersburg basement?
Is flood cleanup different from other water damage?
What should I do after floodwater gets into my Gaithersburg home?
Where can I check the flood zone for a Gaithersburg address?
More Gaithersburg guides
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guide to the first hour after water damage around Gaithersburg
The first hour after a leak or flood in Gaithersburg: what to shut off, what to photograph and what to move.
Gaithersburg guide to burst and frozen pipes
Why pipes burst in Gaithersburg homes, what freezing nights and older plumbing mean, and what to do first.
One call for water damage in Gaithersburg
Answered 24/7, with a written estimate before any work starts.