Natural disaster risk in Penobscot County, Maine
Maine · population 152,080 · FIPS 23019
Overall: relatively low risk
Penobscot County has a composite risk score of 78.0 out of 100 — higher than 78% of US counties. It ranks 3 of 16 in Maine (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, ice storm, lightning.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 8 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 47.31% of Penobscot County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 8 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Penobscot 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 78 |
| Expected annual loss About $41.2 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 80.4 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 31.5 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 93.5 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Penobscot County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Very high 99 |
| Ice storm | Very high 96 |
| Lightning | Relatively high 90 |
| Hurricane | Relatively moderate 86 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 83 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 56 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 79 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 69 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 62 |
| Drought | Relatively low 60 |
| Hail | Relatively low 50 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 32 |
| Avalanche | Very low 42 |
| Coastal flooding | Very low 41 |
| Heat wave | Very low 36 |
| Wildfire | Very low 29 |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Penobscot County
Federal declarations that designated Penobscot County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Penobscot County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4754-ME (Severe Storm and Flooding), declared 30 Jan 2024.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4754-ME | Major disaster | Severe Storm and Flooding | 30 Jan 2024 | No |
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 Penobscot County, Maine?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Penobscot County as relatively low, with a score of 78.0 out of 100 (higher than 78% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Penobscot County?
The hazards rated highest for Penobscot County are winter weather (very high), ice storm (very high), lightning (relatively high).
What is the flood risk in Penobscot County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Penobscot County as relatively moderate, and coastal flooding risk as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Penobscot County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Penobscot County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4754-ME (Severe Storm and Flooding), declared 30 Jan 2024.
Is Penobscot County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 47.31% of Penobscot County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 8 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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