Waldo County, Maine
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 23027 · population 39,586 · 730 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 717 records for Waldo County, Maine from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 376 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (329 records). 578 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 September 16, 2023 tropical storm, filed for the forecast zone Coastal Waldo, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1970, 24 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
- 717on 376 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $60Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Waldo County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 329 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 | 329 | 186 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $48M | 6 of 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | 112 | 61 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $511K | 6 of 16 |
| Floods | 72 | 35 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $7.9M | 8 of 16 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 69 | 35 | 1985-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 16 |
| Extreme cold | 49 | 25 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 16 |
| Drought | 45 | 23 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 5 of 16 |
| Hail | 20 | 15 | 1983-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 16 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 6 | 1996-2023 | 1 | 0 | $181K | 6 of 16 |
| Heat | 4 | 2 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 16 |
| Lightning | 4 | 3 | 1996-2004 | 0 | 0 | $260K | 11 of 16 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1954-1968 | 0 | 3 | $552K | 8 of 16 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 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 Waldo County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Waldo County from 1954 to 1968, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 8th 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Waldo County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Maine.
Every tornado record filed for Waldo County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-07-01 | Waldo County | F1 0.3 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 2 | $3K step |
| 1958-07-02 | Waldo County | F1 8.9 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-07-07 | Waldo County | F2 7.6 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 Waldo County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 13, 2024 coastal flood ($941,000 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 Coastal Waldo County due to both inundation flooding and over wash from large coastal swells that overtopped dunes and seawalls. Flooding up to a foot deep also reached Belfast Harbor roads during high tide with at least one structure damaged. In Searsport, sand, mud and rocks covered Cottage Street.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1158766)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-16 | Tropical StormWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo Minor impacts were reported for this event. No inundation flooding was reported, but there was high surf on the Saturday midday high tide cycle as long period 8 to 10 foot swells reached the coast. This caused some minor splash-over and erosion in isolated areas. Northerly wind gusts around 50 mph led to minor to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1968-07-01 | TornadoWaldo County | F1 0.3 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 2 | $3K step |
| 1954-07-07 | TornadoWaldo County | F2 7.6 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | $36M | |
| 1998-01-05 | Ice StormWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2007-04-16 | Coastal FloodWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2007-04-16 | FloodBelfast, Waldo County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2024-01-13 | Coastal FloodWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2009-04-06 | FloodTemple Hgts, Waldo County | 0 | 0 | $851K | |
| 1996-01-27 | High WindWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo | 0 | 0 | $376K | |
| 2013-12-21 | Ice StormWaldo County · forecast zone Interior Waldo | 0 | 0 | $367K |
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: July 7, 1954 (tornado, Waldo County); July 2, 1958 (tornado, Waldo 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 Waldo 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 | – | – | – | – | 47 | 144 | 99 | 39 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 41 | 56 | 9 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 46 | 7 | 11 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 11 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 16 | 30 | 0 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 8 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
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 138 · Feb 97 · Mar 105 · Apr 38 · May 17 · Jun 34 · Jul 50 · Aug 23 · Sep 28 · Oct 49 · Nov 38 · Dec 100 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Waldo County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Waldo County: 22 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-20 | DR-4764 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2024-01-30 | DR-4754 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2023-09-14 | EM-3598 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2023-07-06 | DR-4719 | Flood | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2023-03-22 | DR-4696 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2022-03-15 | DR-4647 | Coastal 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 |
| 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 |
| 2004-02-05 | DR-1508 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1198 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms, Rains and High Winds |
| 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 |
| 1987-04-09 | DR-788 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1980-09-20 | EM-3082 | Fishing Losses | Red Tide-Toxic Algae |
| 1974-01-18 | DR-410 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-09-28 | DR-356 | Fishing Losses | Toxic Algae in Coastal Waters |
| 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 Waldo County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 72 flood or flash flood records for Waldo County from 1996 to 2024, on 35 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Waldo County ranks 1463rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Lee | 2023-09-16 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.5 million on 73 claims filed in Waldo County; the most in one year was 11 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1986: 3 · 1987: 7 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 3 · 2007: 4 · 2009: 4 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 11; 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 Waldo County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Waldo County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.4 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 | $896K | 32 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $971K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.1M | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $468K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.5M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $435K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $216K | 4.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Waldo 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 Waldo CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Waldo County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis