Enter any address in Waldo County, Maine to see its FEMA flood zone
Coastal flooding events, alongside general flooding, are the most frequent flood types recorded in Waldo County over the past 30 years. Recent examples include a coastal flood event in January 2024 that produced record storm tide levels in Portland, and another coastal flood in March 2024 that brought strong winds and heavy rain, contributing to standing water and minor river flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program data shows a mix of flood zones with varying claim payouts and water depths. Zone V properties have the highest average claim payouts, followed by Zone X. Homeowners in coastal areas, as well as those in Zone A and Zone V, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
54 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Waldo County, Maine has recorded 80 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 5 flash floods and 52 river or area floods. The county has received 28 federal disaster declarations, 9 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1970–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jan 9, 2024 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 17, 2023 |
| Hurricane Lee | Hurricane | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Flood | Apr 30, 2023 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2022 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Coastal Storm | Oct 30, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Severe Storm | Jun 18, 2009 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | 1.00M |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Mar 10, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 2023 | — (1 deaths) |
| Flood | Oct 8, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 8, 2023 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Oct 7, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | 200.00K |
| Flood | Oct 31, 2021 | 200.00K |
Coastal Flood — Jan 13, 2024
The second severe storm in a week���s time struck the northern New England coastline during the middle of January. An intense and rapidly deepening area of low pressure over the Great Lakes region (979 mb) combined the highest astronomical tides of the month to produce extreme flooding along the coast. Portland had its all-time storm tide, posting a record flood water level (records 1912-...
Flood — Apr 12, 2024
A cold front brought widespread soaking rainfall to the area. This rainfall combined with significant snowpack loss and saturated grounds to produce minor to moderate river flooding, with isolated flash flooding across the mountains. Repeated rounds of rain compressed, warmed, and ripened the area snowpack in advance of the heavier rain on Friday the 12th. The combination of rain, strong winds...
Coastal Flood — Mar 10, 2024
A multifaceted storm brought strong winds and heavy rain to the coast, and heavy snow to the mountains on March 10th. A period of heavy rain between daybreak and noon caused excessive runoff and flash flooding in parts of Cumberland County where rainfall totals exceeded 3 inches. Elsewhere, the rain and snowmelt combination resulted in minor river flooding and nuisance overland standing water....
Tropical Storm — Sep 16, 2023
Hurricane Lee was a category 1 hurricane as it traveled north through the eastern Gulf of Maine early on Saturday, September 16th, before it was reclassified as Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee during the morning hours. The storm center eventually made landfall near Long Island, Nova Scotia on the evening of September 16th and then again in New Brunswick later on Saturday night. Lee brought numerous w...
Flood — Oct 8, 2023
An upper level moved out the Great Lakes towards New England on the 7th. An area of low pressure developed across the Mid-Atlantic and pushed north into the Gulf of Maine through the day. These features interacted with anomalous moisture across the region for October bringing convective rain squalls and areas of heavy rain. Most of Western Maine missed out on the heaviest of the rainfall bu...
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 Waldo 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 Waldo 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.