Cumberland County, Maine
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 23005 · population 302,870 · 836 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,360 records for Cumberland County, Maine from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 658 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (402 records). 758 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the July 18, 2008 lightning: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 39 declarations naming the county since 1970, 35 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on May 24, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,360on 658 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 722 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $198Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 39latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Cumberland County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 402 since 1996. 52% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among Maine's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 402 | 219 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $95M | 5 of 16 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 320 | 142 | 1955-2025 | 1 | 2 | $1.6M | 2 of 16 |
| Floods | 160 | 109 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 1 | $91M | 1 of 16 |
| Hail | 147 | 70 | 1964-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | 135 | 74 | 1996-2024 | 3 | 2 | $3.1M | 5 of 16 |
| Drought | 54 | 22 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 6 of 16 |
| Extreme cold | 47 | 22 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 16 |
| Lightning | 42 | 38 | 1996-2014 | 2 | 13 | $2.9M | 1 of 16 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 22 | 18 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $699K | 2 of 16 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 11 | 1953-2020 | 0 | 3 | $80K | 1 of 16 |
| Heat | 6 | 3 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 16 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 5 | 5 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 1 | $109K | 2 of 16 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 2 | 1996-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 16 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2007-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 16 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Cumberland County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Cumberland County from 1953 to 2020, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 16 Maine counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 13 tornadoes whose track touched Cumberland County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Maine.
Every tornado record filed for Cumberland County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-11 | Convene, Cumberland County | EF0 4.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2017-07-01 | East Sebago, Cumberland County | EF0 3.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-07-01 | West Bridgton, Cumberland County | EF1 1.53 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-07-01 | Bridgton, Cumberland County | EF1 2.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2014-07-27 | Thompson Pt, Cumberland County | EF0 0.63 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-07-21 | West Gorham, Cumberland County | EF0 5.53 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-24 | Brunswick, Cumberland County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2004-08-08 | Sebago Lake, Cumberland County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-06-22 | Cumberland County | F1 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1971-08-11 | Cumberland County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-10-03 | Cumberland County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1962-07-09 | Cumberland County | F1 11.3 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-07-07 | Cumberland County | F0 1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Cumberland County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 23, 2025 high surf (1 injury and $10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Shortly after 0800, York Harbor Master requested York Beach Fire/Rescue along with York Ambulance to the area of Central Ave. for a sailboat in distress. The boat had one occupant on board and was quickly becoming capsized by the high surf as the boat crashed into the rocky shoreline. Wave heights were estimated to be around 8 feet at the time of the incident.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1277266)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Central Interior Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Central Interior Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-23 | Winter StormCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-18 | LightningStandish, Cumberland County A man and a woman were killed while outside a home in Standish when lightning struck a nearby tree and travelled along the ground. The two had gone outside in a storm to retrieve a pair of sunglasses the family dog had taken from a child when the lightning struck. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-12-18 | High WindCumberland County · forecast zone Central Interior Cumberland Strong southeast wind gusts began the morning of the 18th. While wind gusts remained strong throughout the day, the damaging gusts occurred in several waves during the morning, again at midday, and once more in the evening. The NWS Gray office recorded a peak gust of 58 mph at 10:21 am. The peak gusts were fairly ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2023-12-18 | High WindCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Highlands Strong southeast wind gusts began the morning of the 18th. While wind gusts remained strong throughout the day, the damaging gusts occurred in several waves during the morning, again at midday, and once more in the evening. The peak gusts were fairly typical of a high wind event during the cool season, but the ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2022-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindLong Beach, Cumberland County A severe thunderstorm and associated microburst reached the western shore of Sebago Lake just after 4pm. The damaging winds downed 80 to 100 trees...some uprooted and others snapped. Most of the trees were softwoods while a few were hardwoods. About fifteen structures were damaged along with ten vehicles. One fatality ... | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $303K |
| 2002-09-11 | Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Strong and gusty, northwest winds developed behind a cold front that moved through the area. A 35 year-old construction worker was killed when the wind blew down a wall under construction at a high school in Windham around 5 pm. Winds also blew down trees and limbs onto power lines in many locations, causing scattered ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-10-21 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cumberland County A coastal storm which was fed tropical moisture by the circulation around Hurricane Lily produced between 4 and 19 inches of rain throughout the County during a 30-hour period. Many homes and businesses were flooded. Many roads and bridges were washed out. The city of Portland was without potable water for 24 hours as ... | 1 | 0 | $28M | |
| 1997-08-03 | LightningGorham, Cumberland County Three men and a woman were injured when they were struck by lightning while standing under a rain shelter on a golf course during a thunderstorm. Each of the four golfers had entrance and exit wounds and were taken to area hospitals for treatment and evaluation. | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2009-07-27 | LightningHarrison, Cumberland County Two teenage baseball players were struck by lightning, but suffered only minor injuries. The two (along with the rest of the team) had taken shelter in a dugout when the storm approached. One of the boys was leaning against an electrical outlet when the lightning struck. The current passed through the two boys and ... | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $45M | |
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $40M | |
| 1996-10-21 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cumberland County | 1 | 0 | $28M | |
| 2024-01-13 | Coastal FloodCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2007-04-16 | FloodPortland, Cumberland County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2022-12-23 | Coastal FloodCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2007-04-16 | Coastal FloodCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $10.0M | |
| 2008-12-11 | Ice StormCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 22, 1974 (tornado, Cumberland County); July 9, 1962 (tornado, Cumberland County); October 3, 1970 (tornado, Cumberland County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Cumberland County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 58 | 162 | 109 | 73 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 5 | 7 | 26 | 24 | 63 | 140 | 53 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 23 | 48 | 61 | 28 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 10 | 54 | 50 | 7 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 42 | 65 | 18 | 10 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 8 | 10 | 0 | 36 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 180 · Feb 128 · Mar 124 · Apr 59 · May 49 · Jun 156 · Jul 221 · Aug 128 · Sep 70 · Oct 60 · Nov 59 · Dec 126 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cumberland County
FEMA's register lists 39 declarations that include Cumberland County: 26 major disasters, 13 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and snowstorm (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-24 | DR-4785 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-03-20 | DR-4764 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2023-09-14 | EM-3598 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4522 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3444 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-01-02 | DR-4354 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2015-03-12 | DR-4208 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2013-03-25 | DR-4108 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2010-03-25 | DR-1891 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-01-09 | DR-1815 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2008-12-15 | EM-3298 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-09-09 | DR-1788 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2007-04-25 | DR-1693 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding |
| 2005-09-19 | EM-3256 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-04-21 | EM-3210 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2005-04-01 | EM-3209 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-03-14 | EM-3205 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2005-03-14 | EM-3206 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3190 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-05-14 | DR-1468 | Freezing | Severe Winter Cold and Frost |
| 2001-03-20 | EM-3164 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-11-18 | DR-1308 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-01-21 | DR-1263 | Severe Storm | Me - Flooding 10/16/98 |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1198 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms, Rains and High Winds |
| 1996-10-28 | DR-1143 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-10-24 | EM-3121 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm,Heavy Rains, Flooding, High Winds |
| 1996-05-20 | DR-1114 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Flooding |
| 1993-05-11 | DR-988 | Flood | Heavy Rain, Snowmelt, Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3099 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, Severe Winds & Snowfall, Coastal Storm |
| 1992-03-27 | DR-940 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1991-11-07 | DR-921 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storm |
| 1991-08-28 | DR-915 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob & Flooding |
| 1989-06-07 | DR-830 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1987-04-09 | DR-788 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1980-09-20 | EM-3082 | Fishing Losses | Red Tide-Toxic Algae |
| 1978-02-17 | DR-550 | Flood | High Winds, Tidal Surge & Coastal Flooding |
| 1972-09-28 | DR-356 | Fishing Losses | Toxic Algae in Coastal Waters |
| 1972-03-07 | DR-326 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1970-02-27 | DR-284 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Cumberland County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 160 flood or flash flood records for Cumberland County from 1996 to 2024, on 109 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cumberland County ranks 499th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.5 million on 504 claims filed in Cumberland County; the most in one year was 85 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 50 · 1979: 8 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 8 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 21 · 1989: 11 · 1990: 13 · 1991: 45 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 8 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 48 · 1997: 9 · 1998: 15 · 1999: 4 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 4 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 10 · 2006: 4 · 2007: 68 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 5 · 2010: 12 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 15 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 85 · 2025: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Cumberland County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cumberland County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $69.2 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | $3.4M | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very High | $5.7M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.8M | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $16M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $3.7M | 8.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $3.4M | once in about 550 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cumberland County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MaineEvery Maine tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in MaineThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Maine recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Cumberland CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cumberland County's FEMA declarations (CSV)39 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis