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Natural hazards · Burnham

Burnham, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burnham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1987. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Burnham?

51
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burnham to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding44%Hurricanes21%Cold waves11%Winter weather7%Ice storms6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Burnham faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Winter weather

7% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 36 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Burnham flood?

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

6paid claims since 1987
$121Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $106K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Burnham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Waldo County.
Disasters that hit Burnham

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurnhamDeclared for Waldo County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$6K to the Town of Burnham for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Burnham for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Burnham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$19K to the Town of Burnham for repairs
2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$9K to the Town of Burnham for repairs
Waldo County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Burnham

Burnham and the towns around it

Pittsfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClinton: High, mostly inland floodingDetroit: Low, mostly cold wavesHartland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCanaan: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPalmyra: Low, mostly cold wavesFairfield: Moderate, mostly cold wavesBenton: High, mostly inland floodingBurnham: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BurnhamPittsfieldClinton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Clintonmostly inland floodingHigh
Pittsfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Burnhammostly inland floodingModerate
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. Burnham is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Burnham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Burnham. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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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