Natural hazards · Phippsburg

Phippsburg, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Phippsburg comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Phippsburg?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Phippsburg to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and inland flooding.

Coastal flooding32%Inland flooding28%Hurricanes19%Ice storms9%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Phippsburg faces

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

Coastal flooding

32% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Ice storms

9% 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 Phippsburg flood?

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

21paid claims since 1978

$160Kpaid 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. Phippsburg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Sagadahoc County.

Disasters that hit Phippsburg

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PhippsburgDeclared for Sagadahoc County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

14 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

Sagadahoc County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Phippsburg

Phippsburg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bathmostly inland floodingModerate

Arrowsicmostly inland floodingLow

Georgetownmostly inland floodingLow

Harpswellmostly coastal floodingLow

Phippsburgmostly coastal floodingLow

West Bathmostly coastal 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. Phippsburg covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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