Natural hazards · Deer Isle

Deer Isle, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Deer Isle comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1981. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Deer Isle?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Deer Isle to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes27%Coastal flooding25%Inland flooding17%Cold waves10%Ice storms8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Deer Isle faces

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

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Coastal flooding

25% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Ice storms

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat 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 Deer Isle flood?

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

1paid claims since 1981

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hancock County.

Disasters that hit Deer Isle

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Deer IsleDeclared for Hancock County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

37 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $83K to the Town of Deer Isle for repairs

Hancock County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Deer Isle

Deer Isle and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Havenmostly coastal floodingModerate

Swans Islandmostly hurricanesLow

Deer Islemostly hurricanesLow

Stoningtonmostly hurricanesLow

Brooksvillemostly hurricanesLow

Brooklinmostly hurricanesLow

Sedgwickmostly 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. Deer Isle covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Deer Isle’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Deer Isle. 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 Deer Isle total about $950K 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.