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Natural hazards · Gorham

Gorham, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gorham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gorham?

23
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gorham to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding42%Hurricanes25%Ice storms9%Everything else24%
By hazard

What Gorham faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

25% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Ice storms

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Gorham flood?

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

3paid claims since 1979
$9Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Gorham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cumberland County.
Disasters that hit Gorham

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GorhamDeclared for Cumberland County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$25K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$49K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$57K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$28K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$146K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$62K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

64 households applied for aid $58K aid approved $62K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$40K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2005

Snow

$35K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$71K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2003

Snow

$20K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
2001

Snow

$28K to the Town of Gorham for repairs
Cumberland County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Gorham

Gorham and the towns around it

Windham: Low, mostly inland floodingBuxton: Low, mostly inland floodingStandish: Low, mostly inland floodingScarborough: Low, mostly inland floodingWestbrook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGray: Very low, mostly inland floodingFalmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingRaymond: Low, mostly inland floodingCumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingHollis: Low, mostly inland floodingDayton: Low, mostly inland floodingSaco: Low, mostly inland floodingLimington: Low, mostly inland floodingSebago: Low, mostly inland floodingBaldwin: Low, mostly inland floodingCape Elizabeth: Very low, mostly inland floodingOld Orchard Beach: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Portland: Low, mostly inland floodingPortland: Very low, mostly inland floodingGorham: Low, mostly inland flooding GorhamWindhamBuxtonStandishScarboroughWestbrook
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Westbrookmostly inland floodingModerate
Scarboroughmostly inland floodingLow
Windhammostly inland floodingLow
Standishmostly inland floodingLow
Gorhammostly inland floodingLow
Buxtonmostly 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. Gorham covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gorham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Gorham. 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 Gorham total about $3.6M 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.

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You’re in Gorham, MECumberland CountyView boundary

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