TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
TopshamGood morning
Natural hazards · Topsham

Topsham, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Topsham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1987. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Topsham?

27
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Topsham to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding38%Hurricanes22%Ice storms12%Coastal flooding10%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Topsham faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Ice storms

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Topsham flood?

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

2paid claims since 1987
$19Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19872026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Topsham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Sagadahoc County.
Disasters that hit Topsham

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TopshamDeclared for Sagadahoc County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $16K aid approved
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$69K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$26K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$13K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$68K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

7 households applied for aid $385 aid approved $23K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
2001

Snow

$9K to the Town of Topsham for repairs
Sagadahoc County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Topsham

Topsham and the towns around it

Lisbon: Low, mostly inland floodingBrunswick: Very low, mostly inland floodingBowdoinham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDurham: Low, mostly inland floodingBath: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBowdoin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLewiston: Low, mostly inland floodingSabattus: Low, mostly inland floodingHarpswell: Low, mostly coastal floodingWest Bath: Low, mostly coastal floodingFreeport: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoolwich: Low, mostly inland floodingRichmond: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Low, mostly inland floodingPownal: Very low, mostly inland floodingNew Gloucester: Very low, mostly inland floodingPhippsburg: Low, mostly coastal floodingArrowsic: Low, mostly inland floodingLitchfield: Low, mostly inland floodingTopsham: Low, mostly inland flooding TopshamLisbonBrunswickBowdoinhamDurhamBathBowdoin
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Bathmostly inland floodingModerate
Bowdoinhammostly inland floodingModerate
Bowdoinmostly inland floodingModerate
Lisbonmostly inland floodingLow
Topshammostly inland floodingLow
Durhammostly inland floodingLow
Brunswickmostly 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. Topsham covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Topsham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Topsham. 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 Topsham total about $2.1M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Topsham, MESagadahoc CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Topsham is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map