Piscataquis County, Maine: hazard risk
FEMA rates Piscataquis County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 52.4 of 100, higher than 52% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, ice storm, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,232 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.8 | $8.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 92.4 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 89.2 | $369K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.9 | $937K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.8 | $1.1M |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 72.2 | $7K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 63.4 | $3K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 42.1 | $78K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 35.2 | $4.0M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 40.6 | $153K |
| Hail | Very Low | 11.8 | $37K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 11.1 | $81K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 9.6 | $16K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 9.2 | $3K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8.9 | $51K |
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 | 598 | 0 | $3.6M | 15th of 16 | 1930th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 181 | 0 | – | 14th of 16 | 2741st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 123 | 2 | – | 11th of 16 | 1440th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 104 | 1 | $2.4M | 14th of 16 | 2401st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 96 | 0 | – | 14th of 16 | 2141st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 70 | 0 | – | 16th of 16 | 2826th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 25 | 0 | – | 15th of 16 | 2303rd of 3,063 |
| Heat | 19 | 0 | – | 8th of 16 | 1975th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | – | 14th of 16 | 1074th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | – | 14th of 16 | 2147th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | $137K | 15th of 16 | 2887th 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 Piscataquis County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.