Natural hazards · Prospect

Prospect, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Prospect comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Prospect?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Prospect to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding36%Hurricanes22%Cold waves13%Winter weather7%Ice storms7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Prospect faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Winter weather

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 33 times a year in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

TsunamisVolcanic 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 Prospect flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Prospect 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 Prospect

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ProspectDeclared for Waldo County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Prospect for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

$6K to the Town of Prospect for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Prospect for repairs

2007

Flooding

$7K to the Town of Prospect for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$11K to the Town of Prospect for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams

$2K to the Town of Prospect for repairs

Waldo County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Prospect

Prospect and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Verona Islandmostly inland floodingModerate

Bucksportmostly inland floodingModerate

Prospectmostly inland floodingLow

Frankfortmostly inland floodingLow

Searsportmostly inland floodingLow

Stockton Springsmostly 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. Prospect 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 Prospect’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Prospect. 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.