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Natural hazards · Carmel

Carmel, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carmel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Carmel?

41
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carmel to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Hurricanes12%Ice storms6%Winter weather6%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Carmel faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 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 12 years in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Winter weather

6% 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

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat 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 Carmel flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Carmel.

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Carmel 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 Carmel

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarmelDeclared for Penobscot County only
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$20K to the Town of Carmel for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Carmel for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $12K to the Town of Carmel for repairs
2005

Snow

$5K to the Town of Carmel for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$7K to the Town of Carmel for repairs
Penobscot County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Carmel

Carmel and the towns around it

Etna: Low, mostly inland floodingHermon: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingPlymouth: Low, mostly inland floodingDixmont: Low, mostly inland floodingHampden: Low, mostly inland floodingGlenburn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBangor: Low, mostly inland floodingCarmel: Moderate, mostly inland flooding CarmelEtnaHermonNewburgh
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Carmelmostly inland floodingModerate
Newburghmostly inland floodingLow
Etnamostly 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. Carmel covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carmel’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Carmel. 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 Carmel total about $825K 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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