Natural hazards · Owls Head

Owls Head, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Owls Head comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Owls Head?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Owls Head to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes34%Inland flooding22%Coastal flooding20%Ice storms7%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Owls Head faces

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

Hurricanes

34% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 2% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

20% of expected damage

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

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Owls Head flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$369Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Knox County.

Disasters that hit Owls Head

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Owls HeadDeclared for Knox County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $155K to the Town of Owls Head for repairs

2022

Severe Storm and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Owls Head for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Owls Head for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Owls Head for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

8 households applied for aid $628 aid approved $37K to the Town of Owls Head for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$2K to the Town of Owls Head for repairs

Knox County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Owls Head

Owls Head and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Havenmostly coastal floodingModerate

Owls Headmostly hurricanesLow

South Thomastonmostly hurricanesLow

Rocklandmostly hurricanesVery 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. Owls Head is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Owls Head’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Owls Head. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.