TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
DamariscottaGood afternoon
Natural hazards · Damariscotta

Damariscotta, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Damariscotta comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 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 Damariscotta?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Damariscotta to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding35%Hurricanes32%Ice storms10%Coastal flooding5%Everything else19%
By hazard

What Damariscotta faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 11% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

32% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Ice storms

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Damariscotta flood?

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

7paid claims since 1978
$96Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Damariscotta 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.
Disasters that hit Damariscotta

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DamariscottaDeclared for Lincoln County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $300 aid approved $4K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$4K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$15K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$2K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

3 households applied for aid $157 aid approved $28K to the Town of Damariscotta for repairs
Lincoln County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Damariscotta

Damariscotta and the towns around it

Newcastle: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBremen: Low, mostly inland floodingNobleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingBristol: Low, mostly inland floodingWaldoboro: Low, mostly inland floodingAlna: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWiscasset: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Bristol: Low, mostly hurricanesEdgecomb: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFriendship: Low, mostly hurricanesSt. George: Moderate, mostly coastal floodingMonhegan plantation: Low, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingUnion: Low, mostly inland floodingDamariscotta: Low, mostly inland flooding DamariscottaNewcastleBremenNobleboroBristolWaldoboro
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Newcastlemostly inland floodingModerate
Bremenmostly inland floodingLow
Bristolmostly inland floodingLow
Damariscottamostly inland floodingLow
Nobleboromostly inland floodingLow
Waldoboromostly 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. Damariscotta 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 Damariscotta’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Damariscotta. 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Damariscotta, MELincoln CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Damariscotta is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map