Oxford County, Maine
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 23017 · population 57,747 · 2,077 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,192 records for Oxford County, Maine from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 592 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (404 records). 626 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 December 18, 2023 flood: 2 deaths and $4.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 37 declarations naming the county since 1970, 35 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storm and Flooding” on January 30, 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
- 1,192on 592 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 47 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $93Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 37latest 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 Oxford County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 404 since 1996. 49% 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 | 404 | 242 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $59M | 11 of 16 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 256 | 128 | 1959-2026 | 1 | 0 | $97K | 7 of 16 |
| Floods | 195 | 91 | 1996-2024 | 2 | 0 | $29M | 9 of 16 |
| Hail | 107 | 68 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | 86 | 47 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 1 | $55K | 13 of 16 |
| Extreme cold | 51 | 26 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 16 |
| Drought | 45 | 24 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 10 of 16 |
| Lightning | 18 | 18 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 6 | $2.1M | 8 of 16 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 16 | 1961-2020 | 0 | 0 | $387K | 5 of 16 |
| Heat | 4 | 2 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 16 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 2 | 2011-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 16 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | 1996-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 16 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | $339K | 2 of 16 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 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 Oxford County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Oxford County from 1961 to 2020, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 5th 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Oxford County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Maine.
Every tornado record filed for Oxford County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-11 | East Hiram, Oxford County | EF0 0.09 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2017-07-01 | Otisfield, Oxford County | EF0 2.54 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-07-01 | East Fryeburg, Oxford County | EF1 0.32 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-01 | Locke Mills, Oxford County | EF1 0.26 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-05 | South Paris, Oxford County | EF1 4.2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-08-21 | Norway Center, Oxford County | EF1 16.42 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-18 | East Bethel, Oxford County | EF0 1.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-31 | West Paris, Oxford County | F1 2.1 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-17 | Newry, Oxford County | F1 0.4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-07-18 | Hanover, Oxford County | F1 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-13 | Sweden, Oxford County | F1 1 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1998-10-01 | South Paris, Oxford County | F1 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 1981-06-06 | Oxford County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-05-06 | Oxford County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1972-07-24 | Oxford County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-06-21 | Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1961-06-13 | Oxford County | F1 5.4 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Oxford County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 18, 2023 debris flow ($339,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Heavy rain and rapid snowmelt falling on frozen ground caused a landslide at the Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry. NWS estimated over 5 inches of rainfall with snowmelt runoff of an additional 3.5 inches ran off the steep terrain within a 12 hour window. The subsequent landslide caused considerable damage to Sunday River Resort including severe damage to a recreational building.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1151056)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindOxford County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindEast Denmark, Oxford County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Northern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Northern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Northern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtOxford County · forecast zone Northern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormOxford County · forecast zone Northern Oxford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-18 | FloodMiddle Intervale, Oxford County Catastrophic flooding on the Androscoggin River resulting from 5 to 6 inches of rainfall and 2 to 3 inches of snowmelt. The river rose 17′ in roughly 12 hours, cresting at 22.1 feet. The record is 24′ set in 1936. Access in and out of the region was cut off for days, including both Route 2 and 108 running on either ... | 2 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 2006-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindFryeburg, Oxford County Numerous trees and power lines down. A falling tree struck and killed a 22 year old female camping in a tent. Fallen trees closed Route 302 for several hours. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford A severe ICE STORM hit sections of central and southern Maine from January 5 through January 9. One of the hardest hit areas stretched from Bridgton to Lewiston to Augusta to Waterville where ice accreted several inches thick on trees, power lines, and other exposed surfaces causing almost everyone in those areas to ... | 1 | 0 | $51M | |
| 1997-02-22 | LightningOxford County Powerful lightning from rare wintertime thunderstorms caused considerable damage and injured three people in the Oxford Hills area of Oxford County. In one small area around two neighboring homes, the lightning struck at least five locations. The lightning destroyed the electrical and phone systems of both homes, ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2015-07-19 | LightningDenmark, Oxford County Two men were injured when lightning apparently struck the house they were about to enter. Firefighters were called to a home on Route 160 after a lightning strike knocked down power lines, which fell onto a car with the car’s owner inside it. Denmark firefighters managed to rescue the man from his car. As a ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1999-03-22 | High WindOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford High winds associated with a strong low pressure system moving north across eastern New York State and western New England downed trees onto wires, causing utility poles to snap. About 57,000 customers lost electrical service during the storm. Several roads throughout the area were temporarily closed until debris ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1997-06-21 | LightningAndover, Oxford County A camper was struck and injured by lightning while closing the lid on the back of his truck. The man was unconscious for several minutes and then experienced numbness, tingling, and weakness in his arm and leg. He was taken to an area hospital for evaluation. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormOxford County · forecast zone Southern Oxford | 1 | 0 | $51M | |
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormOxford County · forecast zone Northern Oxford | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 2007-04-16 | FloodLovell, Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2007-07-11 | Flash FloodBethel, Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2023-06-26 | Flash FloodAndover, Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 1996-10-21 | Flash FloodCountywide, Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2023-12-18 | FloodBethel, Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2011-07-06 | LightningLocke Mills, Oxford County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 13, 1961 (tornado, Oxford County); June 6, 1981 (tornado, Oxford 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 Oxford 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 | – | – | – | – | 64 | 175 | 111 | 54 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 69 | 109 | 33 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 57 | 47 | 77 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 39 | 30 | 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 32 | 43 | 6 | 5 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 17 | 30 | 0 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% 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 152 · Feb 117 · Mar 97 · Apr 63 · May 64 · Jun 144 · Jul 167 · Aug 95 · Sep 52 · Oct 55 · Nov 49 · Dec 137 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Oxford County
FEMA's register lists 37 declarations that include Oxford County: 28 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and flood (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-30 | DR-4754 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2023-09-14 | EM-3598 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2023-09-06 | DR-4737 | Flood | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2023-07-06 | DR-4719 | Flood | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2023-03-22 | DR-4696 | Severe Storm | 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 |
| 2009-07-30 | DR-1852 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2007-08-08 | DR-1716 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-04-25 | DR-1693 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal 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 |
| 2005-04-21 | EM-3210 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2005-04-01 | EM-3209 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-03-14 | EM-3206 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2004-02-05 | DR-1508 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3190 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-05-14 | DR-1468 | Freezing | Severe Winter Cold and Frost |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1371 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-03-20 | EM-3164 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2000-04-28 | DR-1326 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams |
| 1999-11-18 | DR-1308 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1232 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1198 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms, Rains and High Winds |
| 1996-10-28 | DR-1143 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-05-20 | DR-1114 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Flooding |
| 1996-03-13 | DR-1106 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, 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 |
| 1991-08-28 | DR-915 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob & Flooding |
| 1989-06-07 | DR-830 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1987-04-09 | DR-788 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-01-18 | DR-410 | 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 Oxford County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 195 flood or flash flood records for Oxford County from 1996 to 2024, on 91 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Oxford County ranks 666th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.9 million on 352 claims filed in Oxford County; the most in one year was 117 in 1987. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 14 · 1979: 5 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 11 · 1982: 2 · 1984: 8 · 1986: 19 · 1987: 117 · 1989: 9 · 1991: 2 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 4 · 1996: 5 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 31 · 2001: 2 · 2003: 26 · 2005: 4 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 3 · 2012: 7 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2023: 57 · 2024: 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 Oxford County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Oxford County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.4 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 | $585K | 24 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $978K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.8M | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $13M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $377K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $21K | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $4K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Oxford 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 Oxford CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Oxford County's FEMA declarations (CSV)37 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis