FEMA Records
25
High volume
Maine · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Piscataquis County, ME
25 FEMA disaster declarations (1970-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 25
- FEMA declarations
- 17
- Major disasters
- 52
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Piscataquis County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 25 declarations, more than 71% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 15% below the Maine county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 48%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 48%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 25
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 87
- 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.
How does Piscataquis County compare?
Piscataquis County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
25 Top 29% higher than 71% 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 · 2026-08-03
Piscataquis County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Maine county average
What does Piscataquis County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 87 paid claims, totaling $2.0M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $22.4K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Maine county averages 29.4 federal declaration records, while Piscataquis County has 25. The gap is 15% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 52.4/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $16.5M 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, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 8.8 times per year here, based on 167 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Piscataquis County's 25 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Maine, however, the count is 15% below the county mean. 17 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Severe Storm, appearing 9 times. The full 54-year record averages 0.5 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
61 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Piscataquis 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) High
18/30
25 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.2x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
25 declarations (0.8x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
17 of 25 declarations are major disasters (68%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Piscataquis County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Maine Avg
-15%
State avg: 29.4
vs. National Avg
+21%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.5
Over 54 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Piscataquis 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
68%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
52
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Piscataquis 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 8.8 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | roughly once every 8 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 28 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 17 times per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | roughly once every 13 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 1.8 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 4.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 525 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 2.2 times per year |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 94,482 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 7 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 9
Flood 6
Snowstorm 6
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Freezing 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Piscataquis County's record, 36% 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 - 17 68.0%
of all 25 declarations
Emergency - 8 32.0%
of all 25 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 3 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 2 | |
Show 4 earlier declaration years
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
| 1970 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 25 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 25 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 |
| 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 |
| 1953 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-02-01 |
| 1852 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-07-30 |
| 1755 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2008-05-09 |
| 1591 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, SNOW MELT, AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-06-29 |
| 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 |
| 3194 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2004-01-26 |
| 3190 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2004-01-15 |
| 1468 | SEVERE WINTER COLD AND FROST | DR | Freezing | 2003-05-14 |
| 3164 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2001-03-20 |
| 1326 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-04-28 |
| 1198 | SEVERE ICE STORMS, RAINS AND HIGH WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-01-13 |
| 1106 | SEVERE STORMS, ICE JAMS, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-03-13 |
| 988 | HEAVY RAIN, SNOWMELT, ICE JAMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-05-11 |
Show 5 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3099 | BLIZZARDS, SEVERE WINDS & SNOWFALL, COASTAL STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-15 |
| 940 | HEAVY RAINS, ICE JAMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1992-03-27 |
| 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 Piscataquis 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
87
Total Paid
$2.0M
Avg Per Claim
$22.4K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 52.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.5M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Low
Avalanche Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado 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: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Piscataquis County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave 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
Piscataquis County's closest FEMA peer: Chesterfield County, VA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Piscataquis County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Piscataquis County shows 25 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Piscataquis County: 17 of 25 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Piscataquis County: NRI composite 52.4 (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 Piscataquis County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Piscataquis County's NFIP claims file (87 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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Piscataquis County?
The most common disaster type in Piscataquis County is Severe Storm, with 9 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (6), Snowstorm (6), Biological (2).
How does Piscataquis County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Maine average?
The typical Maine county has 29.4 FEMA declaration records; Piscataquis County has 25, or 15% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 21% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Piscataquis County received?
Piscataquis County has received 17 major disaster declarations, representing 68% of all 25 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Piscataquis County filed?
Piscataquis County has 87 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.0M in payments, with an average of $22.4K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in Piscataquis County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Piscataquis County was 2004, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1970 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Piscataquis County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Piscataquis County, Maine has an overall risk score of 52.4 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively Moderate, while community resilience comes in at Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.5M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Piscataquis County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Piscataquis County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively High) and Winter Weather (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 8.8 times per year, drawn from 167 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.
What this means for Piscataquis County
Against a Maine county mean of 29 declarations, Piscataquis County, ME records 25, or 15% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (17 of 25) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Maine overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 71% of recorded county totals, but its own Maine benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- Use the data guide to separate this mid-volume insurance-claims file from declaration counts and modeled NRI risk. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.