States › Maine › Hancock County

Hancock County, Maine

Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.

FIPS 23009 · 56,192 residents (2021) · 1,587 sq mi · dominant hazard Wind

Hail · 22Tornado · 1Flood · 28Wind · 71Winter · 0

Hancock County within Maine. Dots: HailTornadoFloodWind event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.

Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 135 storm events in Hancock County, Maine, led by damaging wind.

That is 8.5 events per 100 square miles, below the Maine figure of 51.9, and 24.0 per 10,000 residents against 116.6 statewide.

0 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 7 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $2.8M.

FEMA has designated the county in 39 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms And Flooding (major disaster, 20 Mar 2024).

National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 89 claims since 1978, of which 44 were paid, totalling $1.1M (about $25K per paid claim). FEMA counts 284 residential flood policies in force.

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Low" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($20M a year across 18 hazards).

39 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 1 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.

0events, last 12 monthsto 30 Jun 2026

135events since 19501 death, 7 injuries recorded

39disaster declarationslast 20 Mar 2024

89NFIP flood claims$1.1M paid

Compared with Maine and the United States

Measure	Hancock County	Maine	US
Recorded events since 1950	135	16,001	1,977,440
Events per 100 square miles	8.5	51.9	56.0
Events per 10,000 residents	24.0	116.6	59.6
Events in the last 12 months	0	583	62,008
Deaths recorded by NCEI	1	39	26,435
Property damage (NCEI estimates)	$2.8M	$737M	$575B
NFIP claims per 1,000 residents	1.6	4.1	8.1
Average paid NFIP claim	$25K	$21K	$43K
Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years	14.1	19.4	16.1

County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.

Events by decade

Tornado: 1Wind: 3

Hail: 1Wind: 3

Hail: 3Flood: 2Wind: 2Tropical: 1Lightning: 6

Hail: 8Flood: 18Wind: 22Lightning: 1Other: 2

Hail: 6Flood: 3Wind: 18Lightning: 1

Hail: 4Flood: 5Wind: 23Lightning: 2

01950s01960s41970s41980s141990s512000s282010s342020s

Recorded events in Hancock County by decade and hazard group. HailTornadoFloodWindTropicalLightningOther NCEI recorded only tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind before 1996.

Trend: 104 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 26 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.

Events by type

Wind71

Flood28

Hail22

Lightning10

Other2

Tornado1

Tropical1

Hazard	Events	Deaths	Share of state's events
■ Wind	71	—	1.5%	detail
■ Flood	28	—	1.7%	detail
■ Hail	22	—	1.8%	detail
■ Lightning	10	1	4.7%
■ Other	2	—	3.2%
■ Tornado	1	—	0.7%
■ Tropical	1	—	0.8%

Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.

Largest recorded events

Date	Event type	Group	Magnitude	Property damage	Crop damage	Deaths	Injuries	Geography
4 Jul 2000	Lightning	Lightning	—	—	—	1	—	County
5 Aug 2023	Lightning	Lightning	—	—	—	—	3	County
29 Jun 2012	Lightning	Lightning	—	—	—	—	2	County
5 Jul 2023	Lightning	Lightning	—	—	—	—	2	County
9 Jun 2021	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$615K	—	—	—	County
7 Sep 2008	Flood	Flood	—	$450K	—	—	—	County
7 Sep 2008	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$450K	—	—	—	County
7 Sep 2008	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$450K	—	—	—	County
7 Sep 2008	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$450K	—	—	—	County
30 Sep 2015	Flood	Flood	—	$159K	—	—	—	County
3 Aug 2008	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$120K	—	—	—	County

Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.

Federal disaster declarations

Declared	Number	Type	Incident	Title	Programs
20 Mar 2024	DR-4764	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
30 Jan 2024	DR-4754	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storm And Flooding	Public assistance
14 Sep 2023	EM-3598	Emergency	Hurricane	Hurricane Lee	Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Apr 2020	DR-4522	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
13 Mar 2020	EM-3444	Emergency	Biological	Covid-19	Public assistance
2 Jan 2018	DR-4354	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storm And Flooding	Public assistance
1 Jul 2010	DR-1920	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms And Flooding	Public assistance
30 Jul 2009	DR-1852	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides	Public assistance
25 Apr 2007	DR-1693	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms And Inland And Coastal Flooding	Public assistance
20 Apr 2007	DR-1691	Major disaster	Flood	Flooding	Public assistance
19 Sep 2005	EM-3256	Emergency	Hurricane	Hurricane Katrina Evacuation	Public assistance
29 Jun 2005	DR-1591	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, And Ice Jams	Public assistance
14 Mar 2005	EM-3206	Emergency	Snowstorm	Record And/Or Near Record Snow	Public assistance
26 Jan 2004	EM-3194	Emergency	Snowstorm	Snow	Public assistance
15 Jan 2004	EM-3190	Emergency	Snowstorm	Snow	Public assistance
14 May 2003	DR-1468	Major disaster	Freezing	Severe Winter Cold And Frost	Public assistance
20 Mar 2001	EM-3164	Emergency	Snowstorm	Snow	Public assistance
13 Jan 1998	DR-1198	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Ice Storms, Rains And High Winds	Individual assistance, Public assistance
11 May 1993	DR-988	Major disaster	Flood	Heavy Rain, Snowmelt, Ice Jams & Flooding	Public assistance
15 Mar 1993	EM-3099	Emergency	Snowstorm	Blizzards, Severe Winds & Snowfall, Coastal Storm	Public assistance
9 Apr 1987	DR-788	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
20 Sep 1980	EM-3082	Emergency	Fishing Losses	Red Tide-Toxic Algae	Individual assistance
28 Sep 1972	DR-356	Major disaster	Fishing Losses	Toxic Algae In Coastal Waters	Individual assistance
7 Mar 1972	DR-326	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance

Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.

Flood insurance claims

197820022026

NFIP claims by year of loss in Hancock County, 1978 to 2026 (hover for the amount paid).

Claims since 197889

Paid claims44

Total paid$1.1M

Average paid claim$25K

Repetitive-loss properties20 severe

Residential policies in force2841.0% of 27,259 structures

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Amount paid	Average paid
2024	33	16	$866,480	$54,155
2023	2	2	$16,790	$8,395
2021	1	1	$2,731	$2,731
2020	1	0	$0	—
2018	2	0	$0	—
2017	1	0	$0	—
2016	3	1	$11,485	$11,485
2013	2	0	$0	—
2009	3	3	$22,513	$7,504
2008	1	1	$3,009	$3,009
2007	1	0	$0	—
2006	1	0	$0	—
2005	4	1	$6,751	$6,751
2004	1	0	$0	—
2000	1	1	$17,877	$17,877
1999	1	1	$1,651	$1,651
1998	2	1	$21,012	$21,012
1997	2	1	$729	$729
1996	1	0	$0	—
1994	2	1	$12,633	$12,633
1993	1	0	$0	—
1991	2	0	$0	—
1990	5	2	$39,920	$19,960
1989	1	1	$304	$304
1986	2	0	$0	—

OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).

National Risk Index

Overall riskRelatively Lowscore 55.0 of 100

Expected annual loss$20MRelatively Low

Social vulnerabilityRelatively Low

Community resilienceVery High

Hazard (NRI)	Risk rating	Expected annual loss
Inland flooding	Relatively Low	$6,229,746
Hurricane	Relatively Moderate	$5,923,513
Cold wave	Relatively Moderate	$1,970,466
Coastal flooding	Relatively Moderate	$1,968,197
Ice storm	Relatively High	$1,123,006
Lightning	Relatively Moderate	$847,278
Winter weather	Relatively High	$837,539
Earthquake	Very Low	$321,049
Drought	Relatively Low	$261,058
Strong wind	Relatively Low	$199,266
Tornado	Very Low	$169,445
Hail	Very Low	$86,751
Heat wave	Very Low	$25,829
Landslide	Relatively Low	$4,531
Wildfire	Very Low	$3,742
Avalanche	Very Low	$728

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.

Hurricane and tropical storm passes

Tracks within 100 miles39

Tracks within 50 miles13

Hurricane strength within 50 miles1

Storm	Year	Closest approach	Max wind while within 100 mi
Elsa	2021	39 mi	46 mph
Arthur	2014	98 mi	69 mph
Andrea	2013	68 mi	46 mph
Hanna	2008	56 mi	52 mph
Floyd	1999	36 mi	52 mph
Bertha	1996	45 mi	63 mph
Bob	1991	48 mi	69 mph
David	1979	85 mi	52 mph
Carrie	1972	46 mi	58 mph
Heidi	1971	62 mi	46 mph
Gerda	1969	53 mi	86 mph
Esther	1961	81 mi	40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1961	91 mi	69 mph
Frances	1961	72 mi	52 mph
Cindy	1959	38 mi	52 mph
Edna	1954	55 mi	81 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1952	53 mi	58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1944	26 mi	63 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1934	97 mi	40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1932	51 mi	63 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1924	94 mi	86 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1916	9 mi	46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1908	72 mi	40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1902	31 mi	40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1900	78 mi	46 mph

HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.

ZIP codes with flood claims

ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.

Questions and answers

How often does it hail in Hancock County, ME?

NCEI records 22 hail events in Hancock County since 1950, in 15 different years; that is about 0.3 recorded events a year. 2 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.

Has Hancock County had a tornado?

Yes. NCEI records 1 tornado in Hancock County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.

When was the last federal disaster declaration for Hancock County?

20 Mar 2024: Severe Storms And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for severe storm. The county appears in 39 declarations since 1953.

How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Hancock County, and how much was paid?

89 NFIP claims since 1978, 44 of them paid, for $1.1M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.

Is Hancock County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?

FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Low" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.

How does Hancock County compare with the rest of Maine?

8.5 recorded events per 100 square miles against 51.9 statewide, and 1.6 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 4.1. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.

Provenance

Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.