FEMA Records
6
Total declarations
Maine · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Waldo County, ME
6 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 6
- FEMA declarations
- 5
- Major disasters
- 41
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Waldo County ranks safer than 41% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 80% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Very Low, based on 6 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2022, most often severe storm, 56% above the national county average of 4.
- Safer than 41%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 6
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 3
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Waldo County compare?
Waldo County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
6 Top 20% higher than 80% of 2,791 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 · 2026-07-25
Waldo County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Maine county average
How disaster-prone is Waldo County?
Declaration frequency
Waldo County, Maine has recorded 6 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2024, of which 5 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 3.0 declarations per year across a 2-year record, or roughly 75% above the Maine county average of 3.4 and 56% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 3 of 6 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 40.6/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $13.4M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively Low) and community resilience (Very High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators put Waldo County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Maine Avg
+75%
State avg: 3.4
vs. National Avg
+56%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
3.0
Over 2 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Waldo County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Waldo County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
23027
ME state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 3
Hurricane 1
Flood 1
Coastal Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 5 83.3%
of all 6 declarations
Emergency - 1 16.7%
of all 6 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4764 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-03-20 |
| 4754 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-01-30 |
| 3598 | HURRICANE LEE | EM | Hurricane | 2023-09-14 |
| 4719 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-06 |
| 4696 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-03-22 |
| 4647 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Coastal Storm | 2022-03-15 |
Storm Events in Maine
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,074 | 5 | 0 | $1.3M |
| Heavy Snow | 886 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 812 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Weather | 765 | 0 | 52 | $0 |
| Drought | 368 | 0 | 0 | $140.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 40.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$13.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Coastal Flooding Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Maine
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Waldo County, Maine had?
Waldo County, Maine has received 6 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2024. Of these, 5 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Waldo County?
The most common disaster type in Waldo County is Severe Storm, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Hurricane (1), Flood (1), Coastal Storm (1).
How does Waldo County's disaster risk compare to the Maine average?
Waldo County has 6 disaster declarations, which is 75% higher than the Maine county average of 3.4 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 56% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Waldo County received?
Waldo County has received 5 major disaster declarations, representing 83% of all 6 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Maine?
The most common storm types in Maine include Thunderstorm Wind (1,074 events), Heavy Snow (886 events), Winter Storm (812 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Waldo County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Waldo County was 2023, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Waldo County?
With 6 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Waldo County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Waldo County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Waldo County, Maine has an overall risk score of 40.6 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $13.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Waldo County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Waldo County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively High) and Hurricane (Relatively Moderate). 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.
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 Waldo County
Waldo County, ME runs 75% above the Maine county average for federal disaster declarations (6 vs 3), a moderate historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (5 of 6) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Maine overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.