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Natural hazards · Palermo

Palermo, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palermo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Palermo?

42
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding33%Hurricanes27%Cold waves13%Winter weather8%Ice storms8%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Palermo faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Winter weather

8% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 36 times a year in the area

Ice storms

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat 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 Palermo flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Palermo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Waldo County.
Disasters that hit Palermo

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalermoDeclared for Waldo County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$48K to the Town of Palermo for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$6K to the Town of Palermo for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$3K to the Town of Palermo for repairs
2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$24K to the Town of Palermo for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams

$30K to the Town of Palermo for repairs
Waldo County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Palermo

Palermo and the towns around it

China: Low, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWashington: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWindsor: Low, mostly inland floodingVassalboro: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinslow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlbion: Low, mostly inland floodingMontville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAppleton: Low, mostly inland floodingUnion: Low, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWhitefield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPalermo: Moderate, mostly inland flooding PalermoChinaLibertyWashingtonSomervilleWindsor
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Libertymostly inland floodingModerate
Somervillemostly inland floodingModerate
Palermomostly inland floodingModerate
Washingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Windsormostly inland floodingLow
Chinamostly 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. Palermo covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palermo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Palermo. 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 Palermo total about $782K 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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