Natural hazards · Benton

Benton, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Benton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1987. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Benton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Benton to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes12%Drought11%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Benton faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Drought

11% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Benton flood?

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

3paid claims since 1987

$19Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Benton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Kennebec County.

Disasters that hit Benton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BentonDeclared for Kennebec County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

21 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

Kennebec County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Benton

Benton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bentonmostly inland floodingHigh

Clintonmostly inland floodingHigh

Winslowmostly inland floodingModerate

Fairfieldmostly cold wavesModerate

Albionmostly inland floodingLow

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. Benton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Benton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Benton. 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 Benton total about $1.1M 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.