Waldo County, Maine: hazard risk
FEMA rates Waldo County's overall risk Very Low (score 40.6 of 100, higher than 40% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, ice storm. Its storm record holds 717 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 | Relatively High | 96.2 | $896K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 89.8 | $971K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 82.8 | $3.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.8 | $468K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 60.4 | $1.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 58.8 | $435K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 54.7 | $216K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 39.6 | $5.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 21.2 | $204K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.4 | $3K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 42.7 | $190K |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.1 | $89K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 19.8 | $65K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 17.6 | $7K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 15.3 | $160K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 15.1 | $20 |
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 | 329 | 0 | $48M | 6th of 16 | 473rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 112 | 0 | $511K | 6th of 16 | 440th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 72 | 0 | $7.9M | 8th of 16 | 1566th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 69 | 0 | – | 9th of 16 | 2582nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 49 | 0 | – | 5th of 16 | 752nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 45 | 0 | $2.4M | 5th of 16 | 1303rd of 3,063 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | – | 9th of 16 | 2729th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 1 | $181K | 6th of 16 | 545th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 11th of 16 | 2110th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $260K | 11th of 16 | 1391st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $552K | 8th of 16 | 2679th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 9th of 16 | 2128th 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 Waldo County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.