Photo: Hugh Manatee at en.wikipedia · Public domainFEMA puts Brownville’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 69% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brownville gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%), then ice storms (20%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Brownville faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Ice storms
Hurricanes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Brownville’s grade
River and rain flooding is 63% of the building damage FEMA expects in Brownville, and Brownville’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 20%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
C higher expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Brownville’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $952K a year in losses across Brownville: $377K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Brownville flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brownville, from FEMA’s records: 4.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Brownville isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Piscataquis County.11 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brownville
Disasters that paid out in Brownville itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Brownville), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Storm and Flooding$3K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides$750 to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding$23K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams$10K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2005Snow$6K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2005Record And/or Near Record Snow$6K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
Show all 11
- 2003Snow$5K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams$5K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2003Snow$3K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2002Severe Winter Cold and Frost$7K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams$6K to the Town of Brownville for repairs
Piscataquis County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Brownville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brownville archive →Brownville and its neighbors
Brownville is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milo | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Brownville | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Lake View plantation | — | 181 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Brownville faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Brownville
Is Brownville at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brownville has higher expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%) and ice storms (20%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Brownville flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Brownville since 1979, $19K in all, or 4.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Brownville in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Piscataquis County, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Brownville?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brownville’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Brownville?
By FEMA money that reached Brownville, Severe Storms and Flooding (2008): $23K to the Town of Brownville for repairs.
Is Brownville at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (63%), and Brownville’s rate for it is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brownville.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brownville’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.