Natural hazards · Mount Desert

Mount Desert, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mount Desert comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mount Desert?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mount Desert to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes44%Inland flooding22%Coastal flooding19%Cold waves5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Mount Desert faces

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

Hurricanes

44% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

19% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

TsunamisVolcanic 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 Mount Desert flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hancock County.

Disasters that hit Mount Desert

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Mount DesertDeclared for Hancock County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $5K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

$11K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$12K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

2007

Flooding

$8K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$15K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

2003

Snow

$10K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Cold and Frost

$1K to the Town of Mount Desert for repairs

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

Around Mount Desert

Mount Desert and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cranberry Islesmostly hurricanesModerate

Southwest Harbormostly hurricanesModerate

Mount Desertmostly hurricanesLow

Tremontmostly hurricanesLow

Trentonmostly hurricanesLow

Bar Harbormostly hurricanesLow

Blue Hillmostly inland floodingLow

Surrymostly 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. Mount Desert covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mount Desert’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Mount Desert. 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 Mount Desert 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.