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Natural hazards · Bangor

Bangor, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bangor comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Bangor?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bangor to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding56%Hurricanes13%Ice storms7%Earthquakes7%Winter weather7%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Bangor faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Winter weather

7% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 24 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Bangor flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bangor, from FEMA’s records.

10paid claims since 1978
$271Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $2K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Bangor isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Penobscot County.
Disasters that hit Bangor

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bangor itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Bangor.

Brought FEMA money into BangorDeclared for Penobscot County only
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$786K to the City of Bangor for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$77K to the City of Bangor for repairs
2005

Snow

$69K to the City of Bangor for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$104K to the City of Bangor for repairs
2003

Snow

$88K to the City of Bangor for repairs
2001

Snow

$20K to the City of Bangor for repairs
Penobscot County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Bangor

Bangor and the towns around it

Brewer: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVeazie: Low, mostly inland floodingOrono: Low, mostly inland floodingHermon: Very low, mostly inland floodingHampden: Low, mostly inland floodingOrrington: Low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Low, mostly inland floodingEddington: Low, mostly inland floodingOld Town: High, mostly inland floodingGlenburn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBradley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCarmel: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingWinterport: High, mostly inland floodingBangor: Low, mostly inland flooding BangorBrewerVeazieOronoHermonHampden
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Brewermostly inland floodingModerate
Veaziemostly inland floodingLow
Hampdenmostly inland floodingLow
Bangormostly inland floodingLow
Oronomostly inland floodingLow
Hermonmostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Bangor covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bangor’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bangor. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Bangor total about $9.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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