Natural hazards · Exeter

Exeter, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Exeter comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Exeter?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Exeter to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding49%Hurricanes16%Drought13%Winter weather6%Ice storms5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Exeter faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times 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

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Exeter flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Exeter 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 Exeter

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ExeterDeclared for Penobscot County only

2005

Snow

$3K to the Town of Exeter for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$1K to the Town of Exeter for repairs

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

Around Exeter

Exeter and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Exetermostly inland floodingLow

Garlandmostly inland floodingLow

Corinnamostly inland floodingLow

Stetsonmostly inland floodingLow

Corinthmostly 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. Exeter covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Exeter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Exeter. 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 Exeter total about $646K 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.