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Natural hazards · South Berwick

South Berwick, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South Berwick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1991. 16 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is South Berwick?

34
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in South Berwick to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding51%Hurricanes23%Ice storms7%Earthquakes5%Everything else14%
By hazard

What South Berwick 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
Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

23% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 South Berwick flood?

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

17paid claims since 1991
$335Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19912026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $73K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. South Berwick is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: York County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit South Berwick

16 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into South BerwickDeclared for York County only
2024

Severe Winter Storm

$42K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $316K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2022

Severe Storm and Flooding

$167K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$12K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$32K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$42K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$5K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$75K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$64K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$83K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

34 households applied for aid $72K aid approved $122K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

45 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $64K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2005

Snow

$23K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$44K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$4K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
2001

Snow

$33K to the Town of South Berwick for repairs
York County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around South Berwick

South Berwick and the towns around it

Rollinsford: Low, mostly inland floodingEliot: Low, mostly inland floodingBerwick: Low, mostly inland floodingDover: Moderate, mostly inland floodingYork: Low, mostly inland floodingWells: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Berwick: Low, mostly inland floodingSomersworth: Low, mostly inland floodingKittery: Low, mostly inland floodingNewington: Very low, mostly inland floodingPortsmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingRochester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLebanon: Low, mostly inland floodingMadbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOgunquit: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKennebunk: Low, mostly inland floodingSanford: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Berwick: Low, mostly inland flooding South BerwickRollinsfordEliotBerwickDoverYorkWellsNorth Berwick
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dovermostly inland floodingModerate
Wellsmostly inland floodingModerate
Berwickmostly inland floodingLow
Rollinsfordmostly inland floodingLow
South Berwickmostly inland floodingLow
Eliotmostly inland floodingLow
Yorkmostly inland floodingLow
North Berwickmostly 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. South Berwick covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South Berwick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of South Berwick. 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 South Berwick total about $1.7M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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