Natural hazards · Mercer

Mercer, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mercer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mercer?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mercer to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding36%Cold waves25%Hurricanes21%Ice storms5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Mercer faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

25% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat 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 Mercer flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Mercer.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Somerset County.

Disasters that hit Mercer

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MercerDeclared for Somerset County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $997K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2022

Severe Storm and Flooding

$93K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$12K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$40K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2005

Snow

$4K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$2K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2003

Snow

$6K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams

$15K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2001

Snow

$5K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams

$45K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$12K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

Somerset County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Mercer

Mercer and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

New Sharonmostly inland floodingHigh

Norridgewockmostly inland floodingModerate

Mercermostly inland floodingModerate

Starksmostly inland floodingModerate

Smithfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Romemostly 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. Mercer covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mercer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Mercer. 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 Mercer total about $1.2M 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.