Natural hazards · Gardiner

Gardiner, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gardiner comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 66 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 Gardiner?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gardiner to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Hurricanes14%Ice storms7%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Gardiner faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gardiner flood?

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

66paid claims since 1978

$764Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

December Nor'easter: 9 claims, $212K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kennebec County.

Disasters that hit Gardiner

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GardinerDeclared for Kennebec County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $138K aid approved $1.2M to the City of Gardiner for repairs

2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$37K to the City of Gardiner for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$15K to the City of Gardiner for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$9K to the City of Gardiner for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$12K to the City of Gardiner for repairs

2003

Snow

$8K to the City of Gardiner for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$13K to the City of Gardiner for repairs

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

Around Gardiner

Gardiner and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pittstonmostly inland floodingModerate

Randolphmostly inland floodingModerate

Farmingdalemostly inland floodingModerate

Gardinermostly inland floodingModerate

West Gardinermostly inland floodingLow

Litchfieldmostly 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. Gardiner covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gardiner’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gardiner. 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 Gardiner total about $1.8M 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.