FEMA Records
39
Very high volume
Maine · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Cumberland County, ME
39 FEMA disaster declarations (1970-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 39
- FEMA declarations
- 26
- Major disasters
- 77
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Cumberland County. Its 39 FEMA declarations are 32% above the Maine county mean and exceed the count for 96% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 23%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 23%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 39
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 504
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 23005 · Cumberland County 39 declarations · rank 121/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-HEAVY 39
- MAJOR-MID 67%
- RANK-UPPER #121
- PHOTO-FINISH Canadian
- NRI-LOW 77
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-ABOVE +32%
Nearest declaration peer: Canadian, OK (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Maine state profile
Cumberland County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Cumberland County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Canadian · near
Canadian · near
39 declarations
- Cumberland · this county
Cumberland · this county
39 declarations
- Delaware · near
Delaware · near
39 declarations
- Orange · near
Orange · near
39 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Cumberland County carries 39 FEMA declaration records, ranked 121 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Cumberland County ranks in the national declaration registry
Cumberland County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Cumberland County
39 Top 4% higher than 96% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Cumberland County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Cumberland County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $26.9M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Low), while Winter Weather carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Very High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Cumberland County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 504 claims and $5.5M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $10.9K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Cumberland County's 39 federal records stand 32% above the Maine county mean of 29.4. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 77.0/100 (Relatively Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $69.2M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 27 times per year here, based on 471 historical events on record.
82 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Cumberland County, ME · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Very High
28/30
39 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.9x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
17/25
39 declarations (1.3x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
26 of 39 declarations are major disasters (67%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
9 different disaster types declared in Cumberland County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Cumberland County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
67%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
77
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Cumberland County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | an average of 27 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very High | an average of 1.8 times per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 9 years |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 18 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 550 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 8.2 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 3 years |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 2 times per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 2.2 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 3.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 2.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 58,833 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 10 years |
| Avalanche | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 12
Snowstorm 8
Flood 8
Hurricane 4
Biological 2
Fishing Losses 2
Winter Storm 1
Freezing 1
Coastal Storm 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Cumberland County's record, 31% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 26 66.7%
of all 39 declarations
Emergency - 13 33.3%
of all 39 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 5 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
Show 13 earlier declaration years
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 2 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 2 | |
| 1970 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 39 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 39 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4785 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2024-05-24 |
| 4764 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-03-20 |
| 3598 | HURRICANE LEE | EM | Hurricane | 2023-09-14 |
| 4522 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3444 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4354 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-01-02 |
| 4208 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, AND FLOODING | DR | Snowstorm | 2015-03-12 |
| 4108 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-03-25 |
| 1891 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-03-25 |
| 1815 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-01-09 |
| 3298 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Storm | 2008-12-15 |
| 1788 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-09-09 |
| 1693 | SEVERE STORMS AND INLAND AND COASTAL FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-04-25 |
| 3256 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-19 |
| 3210 | RECORD SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-04-21 |
| 3209 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-04-01 |
| 3206 | RECORD AND/OR NEAR RECORD SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-03-14 |
| 3205 | RECORD AND/OR NEAR RECORD SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-03-14 |
| 3190 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2004-01-15 |
| 1468 | SEVERE WINTER COLD AND FROST | DR | Freezing | 2003-05-14 |
Show 19 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3164 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2001-03-20 |
| 1308 | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS | DR | Hurricane | 1999-11-18 |
| 1263 | ME - FLOODING 10/16/98 | DR | Severe Storm | 1999-01-21 |
| 1198 | SEVERE ICE STORMS, RAINS AND HIGH WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-01-13 |
| 1143 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-10-28 |
| 3121 | SEVERE STORM,HEAVY RAINS, FLOODING, HIGH WINDS | EM | Severe Storm | 1996-10-24 |
| 1114 | SEVERE STORMS, MUDSLIDES, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-05-20 |
| 988 | HEAVY RAIN, SNOWMELT, ICE JAMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-05-11 |
| 3099 | BLIZZARDS, SEVERE WINDS & SNOWFALL, COASTAL STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-15 |
| 940 | HEAVY RAINS, ICE JAMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1992-03-27 |
| 921 | COASTAL STORM | DR | Coastal Storm | 1991-11-07 |
| 915 | HURRICANE BOB & FLOODING | DR | Hurricane | 1991-08-28 |
| 830 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1989-06-07 |
| 788 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1987-04-09 |
| 3082 | RED TIDE-TOXIC ALGAE | EM | Fishing Losses | 1980-09-20 |
| 550 | HIGH WINDS, TIDAL SURGE & COASTAL FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1978-02-17 |
| 356 | TOXIC ALGAE IN COASTAL WATERS | DR | Fishing Losses | 1972-09-28 |
| 326 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1972-03-07 |
| 284 | SEVERE STORMS, ICE JAMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1970-02-27 |
Storm Events in Maine
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Cumberland County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 972 | 3 | 0 | $821.0K |
| Heavy Snow | 817 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 672 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Weather | 540 | 0 | 52 | $0 |
| High Wind | 261 | 3 | 0 | $40.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
504
Total Paid
$5.5M
Avg Per Claim
$10.9K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 77.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$69.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Very High
Ice Storm Very High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Winter Weather
Winter Weather in the model means the accumulation of snow and cold that disrupts rather than destroys: road closures, roof loads, burst pipes and lost heating. Its costs land heavily on transport and on households least able to absorb an interruption.
Worth noting for Cumberland County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Winter Weather carries the highest modeled rating (Very High), while the county's declaration history is led by Severe Storm. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Cumberland County's closest FEMA peer: Walker County, TX
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Cumberland County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Cumberland County shows 39 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Cumberland County: 26 of 39 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Cumberland County: NRI composite 77.0 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Cumberland County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Cumberland County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 77.0 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 39. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Cumberland County's NFIP claims file (504 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Cumberland County?
The most common disaster type in Cumberland County is Severe Storm, with 12 declarations. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (8), Flood (8), Hurricane (4).
How does Cumberland County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Maine average?
FEMA lists 39 declaration records for Cumberland County. That is 32% above the Maine county mean of 29.4. Its count is also 88% above the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Cumberland County received?
Cumberland County has received 26 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 39 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Cumberland County filed?
Cumberland County has 504 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $5.5M in payments, with an average of $10.9K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Cumberland County?
No. In Cumberland County, Winter Weather has the highest National Risk Index rating (Very High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $26.9M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Cumberland County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Cumberland County was 2005, with 5 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1970 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Cumberland County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Cumberland County, Maine has an overall risk score of 77.0 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Very Low, while community resilience comes in at Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $69.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Cumberland County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Cumberland County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Very High) and Hurricane (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts winter weather here at an average of 27 times per year, drawn from 471 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Cumberland County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Maine profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events