Knox County, Maine
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
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.
The NCEI record lists 396 events for Knox County, Maine, between 1950 and 2026; winter storms and snow account for the largest share.
That is 108.4 events per 100 square miles, above the Maine figure of 51.9, and 96.4 per 10,000 residents against 116.6 statewide.
12 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 3 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $25M and crop damage at $1.2M.
FEMA has designated the county in 31 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 92 claims since 1978, of which 53 were paid, totalling $1.9M (about $35K per paid claim). FEMA counts 304 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($12M a year across 18 hazards).
41 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 2 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Maine and the United States
| Measure | Knox County | Maine | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 396 | 16,001 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 108.4 | 51.9 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 96.4 | 116.6 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 12 | 583 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 39 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $25M | $737M | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 4.1 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $35K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 13.2 | 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
Trend: 211 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 178 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 2001 | Strong Wind | Wind | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 13 Jul 1996 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 4 Jul 2002 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Jan 2024 | Coastal Flood | Flood | — | $7.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 13 Jan 2024 | Coastal Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Jan 1998 | Ice Storm | Winter | — | $3.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Jan 2024 | Coastal Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 31 Oct 2021 | Flood | Flood | — | $1.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2007 | Flood | Flood | — | $800K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2023 | Flood | Flood | — | $690K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 1996 | Debris Flow | Other | — | $570K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 16 Apr 2007 | Coastal Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2020 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $500K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Oct 2020 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $500K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Dec 2022 | Coastal Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 29 Apr 2008 | Flood | Flood | — | $367K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2013 | Ice Storm | Winter | — | $338K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Dec 2008 | Ice Storm | Winter | — | $317K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Mar 2007 | Flood | Flood | — | $314K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2009 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $300K | — | — | — | 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 |
| 14 Sep 2023 | EM-3598 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee | Public assistance |
| 6 Jul 2023 | DR-4719 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 22 Mar 2023 | DR-4696 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 15 Mar 2022 | DR-4647 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | 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 |
| 25 Mar 2013 | DR-4108 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 25 Mar 2010 | DR-1891 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 30 Jul 2009 | DR-1852 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Public assistance |
| 9 Jan 2009 | DR-1815 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 15 Dec 2008 | EM-3298 | Emergency | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 9 May 2008 | DR-1755 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 25 Apr 2007 | DR-1693 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Inland And Coastal Flooding | Individual assistance, 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 |
| 13 Jan 1998 | DR-1198 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms, Rains And High Winds | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 20 May 1996 | DR-1114 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Flooding | Public assistance |
| 15 Mar 1993 | EM-3099 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Blizzards, Severe Winds & Snowfall, Coastal Storm | Public assistance |
| 27 Mar 1992 | DR-940 | Major disaster | Flood | Heavy Rains, Ice Jams & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 7 Nov 1991 | DR-921 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storm | Individual assistance |
| 28 Aug 1991 | DR-915 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob & Flooding | Individual 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 |
| 18 Jan 1974 | DR-410 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public 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 |
| 27 Feb 1970 | DR-284 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams & 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
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2024 | 26 | 20 | $1,325,539 | $66,277 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | $64,578 | $32,289 |
| 2022 | 6 | 4 | $20,515 | $5,129 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | $191,517 | $95,759 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2016 | 2 | 1 | $1,695 | $1,695 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 | $16,797 | $16,797 |
| 2007 | 6 | 4 | $137,488 | $34,372 |
| 2005 | 5 | 3 | $23,435 | $7,812 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | $4,498 | $4,498 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 3 | 2 | $10,428 | $5,214 |
| 1996 | 4 | 2 | $18,232 | $9,116 |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1990 | 5 | 2 | $4,373 | $2,186 |
| 1987 | 3 | 3 | $15,116 | $5,039 |
| 1986 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1984 | 2 | 1 | $1,338 | $1,338 |
| 1983 | 1 | 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
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | $3,751,787 | |
| Inland flooding | $3,212,498 | |
| Coastal flooding | $1,286,720 | |
| Ice storm | $1,054,687 | |
| Winter weather | $524,757 | |
| Strong wind | $495,141 | |
| Cold wave | $465,626 | |
| Lightning | $287,171 | |
| Earthquake | $278,684 | |
| Tornado | $132,810 | |
| Hail | $90,887 | |
| Drought | $55,822 | |
| Landslide | $41,319 | |
| Heat wave | $28,421 | |
| Wildfire | $7,365 | |
| Avalanche | $135 |
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
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsa | 2021 | 37 mi | 46 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 54 mi | 52 mph |
| Floyd | 1999 | 13 mi | 52 mph |
| Bertha | 1996 | 4 mi | 63 mph |
| Bob | 1991 | 5 mi | 69 mph |
| David | 1979 | 81 mi | 52 mph |
| Carrie | 1972 | 90 mi | 58 mph |
| Heidi | 1971 | 29 mi | 46 mph |
| Gerda | 1969 | 76 mi | 86 mph |
| Esther | 1961 | 38 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1961 | 53 mi | 69 mph |
| Frances | 1961 | 64 mi | 58 mph |
| Cindy | 1959 | 69 mi | 52 mph |
| Edna | 1954 | 50 mi | 81 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1952 | 36 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1944 | 29 mi | 63 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1934 | 65 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1932 | 67 mi | 63 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1924 | 99 mi | 86 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1917 | 89 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1916 | 98 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1916 | 55 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1908 | 65 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1902 | 78 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1900 | 98 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 Knox County, ME?
NCEI records 11 hail events in Knox County since 1950, in 6 different years; that is about 0.1 recorded events a year. 0 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Knox County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 1 tornado in Knox County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Knox County?
20 Mar 2024: Severe Storms And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for severe storm. The county appears in 31 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Knox County, and how much was paid?
92 NFIP claims since 1978, 53 of them paid, for $1.9M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Knox County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Knox County compare with the rest of Maine?
108.4 recorded events per 100 square miles against 51.9 statewide, and 2.2 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.