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Natural hazards · Portland

Portland, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Portland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Portland?

18
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Portland to be higher than in 18% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding33%Hurricanes25%Ice storms10%Earthquakes7%Winter weather6%Everything else20%
By hazard

What Portland 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 6% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

25% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Ice storms

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Winter weather

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about 37 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Portland flood?

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

34paid claims since 1978
$1.2Mpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 6 claims, $106K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Portland is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Cumberland County.
Disasters that hit Portland

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortlandDeclared for Cumberland County only
2024

Severe Winter Storm

$110K to the City of Portland for repairs
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

80 households applied for aid $133K aid approved $8.3M to the City of Portland for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$197K to the City of Portland for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$232K to the City of Portland for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$313K to the City of Portland for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$1.6M to the City of Portland for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$886K to the City of Portland for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

196 households applied for aid $89K aid approved $1.8M to the City of Portland for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$165K to the City of Portland for repairs
2005

Snow

$158K to the City of Portland for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$374K to the City of Portland for repairs
2003

Snow

$122K to the City of Portland for repairs
2001

Snow

$222K to the City of Portland for repairs
Cumberland County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Portland

Portland and the towns around it

Westbrook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFalmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Portland: Low, mostly inland floodingChebeague Island: Very low, mostly inland floodingLong Island: Low, mostly coastal floodingCape Elizabeth: Very low, mostly inland floodingGorham: Low, mostly inland floodingWindham: Low, mostly inland floodingScarborough: Low, mostly inland floodingCumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingYarmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingHarpswell: Low, mostly coastal floodingFreeport: Very low, mostly inland floodingPortland: Very low, mostly inland flooding PortlandWestbrookFalmouthSouth PortlandChebeague IslandLong IslandCape Elizabeth
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Westbrookmostly inland floodingModerate
Long Islandmostly coastal floodingLow
Falmouthmostly inland floodingLow
South Portlandmostly inland floodingLow
Portlandmostly inland floodingVery low
Chebeague Islandmostly inland floodingVery low
Cape Elizabethmostly inland floodingVery 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. Portland covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Portland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Portland. 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 Portland total about $14.8M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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