Natural hazards · Manchester

Manchester, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Manchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2012. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Manchester?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Manchester to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding44%Hurricanes22%Ice storms8%Winter weather5%Earthquakes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Manchester faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Ice storms

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Winter weather

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Manchester flood?

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

1paid claims since 2012

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20122026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Manchester 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 Manchester

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ManchesterDeclared for Kennebec County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

27 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $45K to the Town of Manchester for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$81K to the Town of Manchester for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$63K to the Town of Manchester for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$3K to the Town of Manchester for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams

$36K to the Town of Manchester for repairs

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

Around Manchester

Manchester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hallowellmostly inland floodingVery high

Augustamostly inland floodingModerate

Farmingdalemostly inland floodingModerate

Belgrademostly inland floodingLow

West Gardinermostly inland floodingLow

Winthropmostly inland floodingVery low

Manchestermostly inland floodingVery low

Readfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Manchester covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Manchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Manchester. 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 Manchester total about $496K 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.