Natural hazards · Scarborough

Scarborough, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Scarborough comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 95 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 Scarborough?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Scarborough to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding35%Hurricanes20%Coastal flooding16%Ice storms8%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Scarborough faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Coastal flooding

16% of expected damage

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

Ice storms

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times 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 Scarborough flood?

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

95paid claims since 1978

$1.4Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

April 2007 Nor'easter: 14 claims, $142K
The “Halloween” storm: 8 claims, $43K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $93K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cumberland County.

Disasters that hit Scarborough

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ScarboroughDeclared for Cumberland County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

53 households applied for aid $263K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

83 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

Cumberland County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Scarborough

Scarborough and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Westbrookmostly inland floodingModerate

Scarboroughmostly inland floodingLow

Sacomostly inland floodingLow

Old Orchard Beachmostly inland floodingLow

Gorhammostly inland floodingLow

South Portlandmostly inland floodingLow

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. Scarborough covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Scarborough’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Scarborough. 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 Scarborough total about $6.6M 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.