Natural hazards · Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Boothbay Harbor comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 28 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Boothbay Harbor?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Boothbay Harbor to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes30%Coastal flooding29%Inland flooding20%Ice storms9%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Boothbay Harbor faces

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

Hurricanes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Coastal flooding

29% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 2% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Ice storms

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Boothbay Harbor flood?

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

28paid claims since 1978

$1.6Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lincoln County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Boothbay Harbor

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Boothbay HarborDeclared for Lincoln County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $31K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm

$13K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$46K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

19 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $54K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$6K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

2001

Snow

$7K to the Town of Boothbay Harbor for repairs

Lincoln County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Westport Islandmostly inland floodingModerate

Boothbay Harbormostly hurricanesModerate

Southportmostly hurricanesModerate

Boothbaymostly hurricanesLow

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. Boothbay Harbor covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Boothbay Harbor’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Boothbay Harbor. 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 Boothbay Harbor total about $1.6M 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.