Natural hazards · Freedom

Freedom, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Freedom comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Freedom?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Freedom to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding33%Hurricanes27%Cold waves13%Winter weather8%Ice storms8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Freedom faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Winter weather

8% 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

8% 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 Freedom flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Freedom 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 Freedom

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FreedomDeclared for Waldo County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Freedom for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

$38K to the Town of Freedom for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$22K to the Town of Freedom for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$24K to the Town of Freedom for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams

$26K to the Town of Freedom for repairs

Waldo County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Freedom

Freedom and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Unitymostly inland floodingModerate

Montvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Knoxmostly inland floodingModerate

Freedommostly inland floodingModerate

Albionmostly 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. Freedom 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 Freedom’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Freedom. 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.