Natural hazards · Jay

Jay, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jay comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1987. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jay?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jay to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding39%Hurricanes19%Cold waves13%Ice storms11%Lightning5%Strong wind5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Jay faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

11% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Jay flood?

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

1paid claims since 1987

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit Jay

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JayDeclared for Franklin County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $50K aid approved

Franklin County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Jay

Jay and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chestervillemostly inland floodingHigh

Cantonmostly inland floodingModerate

Wiltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Jaymostly inland floodingModerate

Livermore Fallsmostly inland floodingModerate

Livermoremostly 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. Jay covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Jay’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Jay. 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 Jay total about $1.5M 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.