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Natural hazards · Orono

Orono, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Orono comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1987. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Orono?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Orono to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding52%Hurricanes14%Winter weather8%Ice storms8%Earthquakes6%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Orono faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Winter weather

8% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 24 times a year 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

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% 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 Orono flood?

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

6paid claims since 1987
$161Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19872026
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Orono 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 Orono

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OronoDeclared for Penobscot County only
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$54K to the Town of Orono for repairs
2005

Snow

$18K to the Town of Orono for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$22K to the Town of Orono for repairs
2003

Snow

$31K to the Town of Orono for repairs
2001

Snow

$11K to the Town of Orono for repairs
Penobscot County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Orono

Orono and the towns around it

Old Town: High, mostly inland floodingGlenburn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBradley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEddington: Low, mostly inland floodingBangor: Low, mostly inland floodingMilford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLevant: Low, mostly inland floodingHermon: Very low, mostly inland floodingKenduskeag: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHudson: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst: High, mostly inland floodingClifton: Low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Low, mostly inland floodingVeazie: Low, mostly inland floodingBrewer: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDedham: High, mostly inland floodingHampden: Low, mostly inland floodingOrono: Low, mostly inland flooding OronoOld TownGlenburnBradleyEddingtonBangor
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Old Townmostly inland floodingHigh
Bradleymostly inland floodingModerate
Glenburnmostly inland floodingModerate
Oronomostly inland floodingLow
Bangormostly inland floodingLow
Eddingtonmostly 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. Orono covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Orono’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Orono. 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 Orono total about $2.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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