Photo: Kimfish92 · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Carrabassett Valley
Carrabassett Valley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Carrabassett Valley has 637 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1987.
What Carrabassett Valley 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
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.
Does Carrabassett Valley flood? Sometimes: 23 flood claims since 1987
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Carrabassett Valley, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene7 claims · $116K
- The December nor’easter5 claims · $267K
Carrabassett Valley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Carrabassett Valley
Disasters that paid out in Carrabassett Valley itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Carrabassett Valley), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Storm and Flooding11 households applied for aid$36K aid approved$772K to the Town of Carrabassett Valley for repairs
- 2023Severe Storm and Flooding$19K to the Town of Carrabassett Valley for repairs
- 2017Severe Storm and Flooding$252K to the Town of Carrabassett Valley for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene$354K to the Town of Carrabassett Valley for repairs7 flood claims paid for it, $116K
Franklin County has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Carrabassett Valley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Carrabassett Valley archive →Carrabassett Valley and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingfield | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Highland plantation | — | 154 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 Carrabassett Valley 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.
- 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 Carrabassett Valley
Does Carrabassett Valley flood?
Flood insurance has paid 23 claims in Carrabassett Valley since 1987, $707K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (7).
Is Carrabassett Valley 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 Franklin County, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Carrabassett Valley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Carrabassett Valley’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 Carrabassett Valley?
By FEMA money that reached Carrabassett Valley, Severe Storm and Flooding (2023): 11 households applied for aid, $36K approved, and $772K to the Town of Carrabassett Valley for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 7 paid, $116K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Carrabassett Valley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Carrabassett Valley’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.