FEMA Records
37
Very high volume
Maine · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Oxford County, ME
37 FEMA disaster declarations (1970-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 37
- FEMA declarations
- 28
- Major disasters
- 66
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Oxford County. Its 37 FEMA declarations are 26% above the Maine county mean and exceed the count for 95% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 34%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 34%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 37
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 352
- 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 23017 · Oxford County 37 declarations · rank 160/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-HEAVY 37
- MAJOR-MID 76%
- RANK-UPPER #160
- PHOTO-FINISH Washita
- NRI-LOW 66
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-ABOVE +26%
Nearest declaration peer: Washita, OK (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Maine state profile
Oxford County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Oxford County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Grant · near
Grant · near
37 declarations
- Marion · near
Marion · near
37 declarations
- Oxford · this county
Oxford · this county
37 declarations
- Washita · near
Washita · near
37 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Oxford County carries 37 FEMA declaration records, ranked 160 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Oxford County ranks in the national declaration registry
Oxford County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Oxford County
37 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Oxford County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Oxford County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $13.3M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Winter Weather carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively 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 Oxford County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 352 paid claims, totaling $5.9M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $16.7K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Oxford County's 37 federal records stand 26% 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 carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 65.9/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $22.4M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 24 times per year here, based on 459 historical events on record.
77 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Oxford 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
27/30
37 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.8x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
16/25
37 declarations (1.3x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share Very High
19/25
28 of 37 declarations are major disasters (76%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Oxford County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Oxford 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
76%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
66
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Oxford 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 | Relatively High | an average of 24 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | roughly once every 1 years |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 12 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 2.8 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 4.8 times per year |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 18 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 605 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 1.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 1.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 77,492 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 1.1 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 14
Flood 9
Snowstorm 6
Hurricane 5
Biological 2
Freezing 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Oxford County's record, 38% 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 - 28 75.7%
of all 37 declarations
Emergency - 9 24.3%
of all 37 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 5 | |
| 2004 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 2 | |
| 2000 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 2 | |
Show 7 earlier declaration years
| 1993 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
| 1970 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 37 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 37 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4754 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-01-30 |
| 3598 | HURRICANE LEE | EM | Hurricane | 2023-09-14 |
| 4737 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-09-06 |
| 4719 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-06 |
| 4696 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-03-22 |
| 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 |
| 4032 | TROPICAL STORM IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-13 |
| 1852 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-07-30 |
| 1716 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-08-08 |
| 1693 | SEVERE STORMS AND INLAND AND COASTAL FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-04-25 |
| 3256 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-19 |
| 1591 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, SNOW MELT, AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-06-29 |
| 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 |
| 1508 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, SNOW MELT AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-02-05 |
| 3190 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2004-01-15 |
| 1468 | SEVERE WINTER COLD AND FROST | DR | Freezing | 2003-05-14 |
Show 17 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1371 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-05-16 |
| 3164 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2001-03-20 |
| 1326 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-04-28 |
| 1308 | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS | DR | Hurricane | 1999-11-18 |
| 1232 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-07-02 |
| 1198 | SEVERE ICE STORMS, RAINS AND HIGH WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-01-13 |
| 1143 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-10-28 |
| 1114 | SEVERE STORMS, MUDSLIDES, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-05-20 |
| 1106 | SEVERE STORMS, ICE JAMS, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-03-13 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 410 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1974-01-18 |
| 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 Oxford 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
352
Total Paid
$5.9M
Avg Per Claim
$16.7K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 65.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$22.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Hail 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 Oxford County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Winter Weather carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively 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
Oxford County's closest FEMA peer: Richland County, ND
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Oxford County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Oxford County shows 37 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Oxford County: 28 of 37 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Oxford County: NRI composite 65.9 (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 Oxford County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Oxford 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: 65.9 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 37. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Oxford County's NFIP claims file (352 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 Oxford County?
The most common disaster type in Oxford County is Severe Storm, with 14 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (9), Snowstorm (6), Hurricane (5).
How does Oxford County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Maine average?
FEMA lists 37 declaration records for Oxford County. That is 26% above the Maine county mean of 29.4. Its count is also 79% 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 Oxford County received?
Oxford County has received 28 major disaster declarations, representing 76% of all 37 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Oxford County filed?
Oxford County has 352 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $5.9M in payments, with an average of $16.7K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Oxford County?
No. In Oxford County, Winter Weather has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $13.3M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Oxford County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Oxford 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 Oxford County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Oxford County, Maine has an overall risk score of 65.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $22.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Oxford County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Oxford County as of the latest release is Winter Weather (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively High) and Hurricane (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts winter weather here at an average of 24 times per year, drawn from 459 historical events on record. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
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 Oxford County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Maine profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events