Natural disaster risk in Washington County, Maine
Maine · population 31,024 · FIPS 23029
Overall: relatively low risk
Washington County has a composite risk score of 47.6 out of 100 — higher than 47% of US counties. It ranks 11 of 16 in Maine (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, ice storm, hurricane.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 10 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Washington County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 10 weeks in a row.
Drought in Washington 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 47.6 |
| Expected annual loss About $10.8 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 38 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 86.4 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 80.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Washington County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively high 94 |
| Ice storm | Relatively high 93 |
| Hurricane | Relatively moderate 85 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively moderate 74 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 67 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 55 |
| Drought | Relatively low 48 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 41 |
| Landslide | Very low 62 |
| Earthquake | Very low 46 |
| Wildfire | Very low 21 |
| Tornado | Very low 11 |
| Heat wave | Very low 10 |
| Strong wind | Very low 10 |
| Hail | Very low 9 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Washington County
Federal declarations that designated Washington County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Washington County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4764-ME (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared 20 Mar 2024.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4764-ME | Major disaster | Severe Storms and Flooding | 20 Mar 2024 | Yes |
| 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 Washington County, Maine?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Washington County as relatively low, with a score of 47.6 out of 100 (higher than 47% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Washington County?
The hazards rated highest for Washington County are winter weather (relatively high), ice storm (relatively high), hurricane (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Washington County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Washington 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 Washington County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Washington County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4764-ME (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared 20 Mar 2024.
Is Washington County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Washington County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 10 weeks in a row.
Every county in Maine, ranked · All states · Disasters near me