Natural hazards · Howland

Howland, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 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 Howland?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Howland to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes8%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Howland faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Howland flood?

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

6paid claims since 1978

$88Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Howland 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 Howland

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowlandDeclared for Penobscot County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$26K to the Town of Howland for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $15K to the Town of Howland for repairs

2005

Snow

$4K to the Town of Howland for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$4K to the Town of Howland for repairs

2003

Snow

$6K to the Town of Howland for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Cold and Frost

$11K to the Town of Howland for repairs

2001

Snow

$2K to the Town of Howland for repairs

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

Around Howland

Howland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Howlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Maxfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Edinburgmostly inland floodingModerate

Lagrangemostly inland floodingModerate

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