Enter any address in Aroostook County, Maine to see its FEMA flood zone
River ice jams are a significant driver of flooding in Aroostook County. Recent events in March 2025 illustrate this, with ice jams on the Aroostook River between Caribou and Fort Fairfield causing road closures and flooding along Gardner Creek Road. Another ice jam on the Mattawamkeag River in March 2025 temporarily closed Bancroft Road.
National Flood Insurance Program data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $12,511 and an average water depth of 8.8 feet. Properties in Zone X, while fewer in number of claims, have seen significantly higher average payouts ($20,640) and water depths (18.8 feet). Homeowners in areas prone to river flooding, particularly those located in Zone A or Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
53 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Aroostook County, Maine has recorded 166 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 65 flash floods and 96 river or area floods. The county has received 148 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1970–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Lee | Hurricane | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 12, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Apr 28, 2008 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Dec 25, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, And Ice Jams | Severe Storm | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Mar 9, 2005 |
| Record And/or Near Record Snow | Snowstorm | Feb 10, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 21, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 14, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 2, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flood — Mar 21, 2025
An ice jam on the Aroostook River between Caribou and Fort Fairfield led to flooding which closed portions of the North Caribou Road and Strickland Road. This ice jam developed during the evening of the 20th and persisted into the afternoon of the 26th. A second ice jam developed near Wade during the morning of the 21st and persisted into the morning of the 27th. This ice jam led to flooding al...
Flood — Mar 20, 2025
An ice jam on the Aroostook River between Caribou and Fort Fairfield led to flooding which closed portions of the North Caribou Road and Strickland Road. This ice jam developed during the evening of the 20th and persisted into the afternoon of the 26th. A second ice jam developed near Wade during the morning of the 21st and persisted into the morning of the 27th. This ice jam led to flooding al...
Flood — Mar 19, 2025
An ice jam developed on the upper reaches of the Mattawamkeag River during the morning of the 19th and persisted into the evening. Flooding in the vicinity of the ice jam temporarily led to the closure of Bancroft Road. Water levels receded during the evening allowing the road to re-open.
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2023
An upper level low slowly crossed the region during the 29th. Instability with the cold pool aloft and diurnal heating led to the development of slow moving and training thunderstorms through the afternoon into the evening. With abundant moisture available...the storms produced heavy rain. The heavy rain led to localized flash flooding in the vicinity of Frenchville in the Saint John Valley of ...
Tropical Storm — Sep 16, 2023
Tropical Storm Lee transitioned to a post-tropical cyclone while approaching the region. The storm made landfall in extreme southwest Nova Scotia during the afternoon of the 16th...near Long Island...before lifting across New Brunswick. The lowest pressure measured across northern and eastern Maine was 981.3 mb at Eastport in extreme southeast Washington county. A large wind field accompanied t...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Aroostook County, Maine:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Aroostook County, Maine that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.