Natural hazards · Sidney

Sidney, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sidney comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sidney?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sidney to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding51%Hurricanes20%Ice storms8%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Sidney faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Ice storms

8% 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 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 Sidney flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kennebec County.

Disasters that hit Sidney

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SidneyDeclared for Kennebec County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

19 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

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

Around Sidney

Sidney and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Augustamostly inland floodingModerate

Vassalboromostly inland floodingModerate

Belgrademostly inland floodingLow

Oaklandmostly inland floodingLow

Sidneymostly 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. Sidney covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sidney’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sidney. 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 Sidney total about $1.3M 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.