Penobscot County, Maine: hazard risk
FEMA rates Penobscot County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 78.0 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,580 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.7 | $2.8M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 96.8 | $2.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.0 | $1.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 86.7 | $5.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.0 | $24M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57.0 | $711K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79.1 | $1.6M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 69.4 | $6K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 62.6 | $1.7M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.3 | $304K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 50.2 | $280K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 32.3 | $627K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 42.5 | $324 |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 41.0 | $22K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 36.1 | $202K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 29.3 | $14K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 629 | 0 | $78M | 13th of 16 | 1620th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 380 | 0 | – | 11th of 16 | 2653rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 162 | 0 | – | 12th of 16 | 1572nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 113 | 0 | – | 10th of 16 | 2740th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 97 | 0 | $7.8M | 13th of 16 | 2368th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 83 | 0 | – | 14th of 16 | 1656th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 59 | 0 | – | 3rd of 16 | 1625th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 27 | 0 | – | 13th of 16 | 2187th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 0 | $2.3M | 10th of 16 | 2710th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | – | 13th of 16 | 1066th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $38K | 13th of 16 | 2084th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 13th of 16 | 2329th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Penobscot County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.