Lincoln County, Maine
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 23015 · population 35,222 · 456 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 433 records for Lincoln County, Maine from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 366 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (169 records). 313 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 most damaging was the January 13, 2024 coastal flood ($4.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1970, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on March 20, 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
- 433on 366 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 02 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $33Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 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 Lincoln County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 169 since 1996. 51% 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 | 169 | 165 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | 4 of 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | 68 | 67 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $129K | 3 of 16 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 61 | 40 | 1982-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 16 |
| Floods | 38 | 29 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 7 of 16 |
| Drought | 23 | 23 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 3 of 16 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 21 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 16 |
| Hail | 21 | 18 | 1974-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 16 |
| Lightning | 18 | 16 | 1999-2009 | 0 | 2 | $3.1M | 2 of 16 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 7 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $103K | 5 of 16 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 16 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 1996-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 16 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1958-1963 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 7 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 Lincoln County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Lincoln County from 1958 to 1963, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 7th 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Lincoln County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Maine.
Every tornado record filed for Lincoln County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-10-29 | Lincoln County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1958-08-08 | Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
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 Lincoln County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 13, 2024 coastal flood ($4.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
The astronomical tide in Portland was 11.2 feet (MLLW) at 1205 pm. Flood stage is 12 feet (MLLW). The gale to storm force onshore winds produced a storm surge of 3.37 feet in Portland Harbor. The resulting storm tide topped out at 14.57 feet (MLLW) in the Forest City with the tide remaining above flood stage for two hours and 38 minutes. The storm created significant damage to waterfront areas of Lincoln County due to both inundation flooding and over wash from large coastal swells that overtopped dunes and seawalls. Flooding of area businesses occurred in Boothbay Harbor with lobsters and crabs removed from their tanks so they could swim on the flooded restaurant floors. Many roads were flooded once again at high tide in Boothbay, Lincoln and South Bristol. Southport Harbor area at Town Landing inundated with water up to 2 feet was recorded. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1158761)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-23 | Winter StormLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-02 | Winter StormLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-08-05 | LightningWiscasset, Lincoln County An 18-year old man was slightly injured as he leaned on a metal counter top in a Wiscasset restaurant when lightning struck the restaurant. The lightning, which struck an outside corner of the building, also destroyed the motor of a convection fryer. In Biddeford, lightning ignited a fire that gutted a home. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2000-06-30 | LightningJefferson, Lincoln County One man was injured when he was struck by lightning while installing a hot water heater in the town of Jefferson. The man was thrown to the floor where he lay unconscious for several minutes. He then faded in and out of consciousness while being transported to the hospital where he was treated and eventually released. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-13 | Coastal FloodLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 2022-12-23 | Coastal FloodLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2007-04-16 | FloodNewcastle, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2007-04-16 | Coastal FloodLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2009-07-02 | LightningNobleboro, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2008-12-11 | Ice StormLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $762K | |
| 2023-05-01 | FloodAlna, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $461K | |
| 2005-10-09 | FloodLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $453K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 29, 1963 (tornado, Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 | – | – | – | – | 19 | 72 | 53 | 25 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 32 | 9 | 7 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 16 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 21 | 4 | 8 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 0 | 14 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 8 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% 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 78 · Feb 54 · Mar 51 · Apr 23 · May 10 · Jun 33 · Jul 37 · Aug 27 · Sep 26 · Oct 24 · Nov 20 · Dec 50 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lincoln County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Lincoln County: 23 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-20 | DR-4764 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2023-09-14 | EM-3598 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2023-07-06 | DR-4719 | Flood | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2011-09-13 | DR-4032 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 2010-03-25 | DR-1891 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-07-30 | DR-1852 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2009-01-09 | DR-1815 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2008-12-15 | EM-3298 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-05-09 | DR-1755 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-04-25 | DR-1693 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding |
| 2007-04-20 | DR-1691 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-19 | EM-3256 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-06-29 | DR-1591 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams |
| 2003-05-14 | DR-1468 | Freezing | Severe Winter Cold and Frost |
| 2001-03-20 | EM-3164 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1198 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms, Rains and High Winds |
| 1993-05-11 | DR-988 | Flood | Heavy Rain, Snowmelt, Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3099 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, Severe Winds & Snowfall, Coastal Storm |
| 1991-11-07 | DR-921 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storm |
| 1991-08-28 | DR-915 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob & 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 |
| 1974-01-18 | DR-410 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Lincoln County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 38 flood or flash flood records for Lincoln County from 1996 to 2024, on 29 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lincoln County ranks 1088th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.6 million on 149 claims filed in Lincoln County; the most in one year was 58 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 15 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 2 · 1986: 9 · 1987: 4 · 1990: 4 · 1991: 7 · 1992: 2 · 1997: 6 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 3 · 2007: 6 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 58; 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 Lincoln County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.7 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 | Relatively High | $450K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $996K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 8.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $332K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $35K | 3.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $321K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lincoln 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 Lincoln CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lincoln County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis