Natural disaster risk in Cumberland County, Maine
Maine · population 302,870 · FIPS 23005
Overall: relatively low risk
Cumberland County has a composite risk score of 77.0 out of 100 — higher than 77% of US counties. It ranks 4 of 16 in Maine (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are ice storm, winter weather, lightning.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 5 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 13.87% of Cumberland County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 5 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Cumberland County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 77 |
| Expected annual loss About $69.2 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively moderate 87.7 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 10.6 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 98.8 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Cumberland County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Ice storm | Very high 98 |
| Winter weather | Very high 98 |
| Lightning | Relatively high 85 |
| Hurricane | Relatively moderate 90 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 77 |
| Hail | Relatively moderate 75 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 81 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 72 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 63 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 60 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 59 |
| Drought | Relatively low 41 |
| Wildfire | Very low 38 |
| Tornado | Very low 25 |
| Avalanche | Very low 5 |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Cumberland County
Federal declarations that designated Cumberland County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Cumberland County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4785-ME (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 May 2024.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4785-ME | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm | 24 May 2024 | No |
| DR-4764-ME | Major disaster | Severe Storms and Flooding | 20 Mar 2024 | Yes |
All FEMA declarations in Maine, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Cumberland County, Maine?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Cumberland County as relatively low, with a score of 77.0 out of 100 (higher than 77% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Cumberland County?
The hazards rated highest for Cumberland County are ice storm (very high), winter weather (very high), lightning (relatively high).
What is the flood risk in Cumberland County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Cumberland County as relatively low, and coastal flooding risk as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Cumberland County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Cumberland County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4785-ME (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 May 2024.
Is Cumberland County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 13.87% of Cumberland County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 5 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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