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US Post Office-Old Town MainUS Post Office-Old Town Main · Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/8181884923/ · CC BY-SA 2.0
CHazard risk
Natural hazards in Old Town · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Old Town than in 68% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Old Town gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns, #140 of 143 in Maine. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (81%). Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1984.

River and rain flooding 81%Hurricanes 8%Ice storms 5%

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

more than 68%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#140 of 143 in Maine
Hazard risk
C#140 of 143
in Maine · higher than 68% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
81% of expected building damage
Flood claims
17
paid since 1984 · $120K
Flooded more than once
2
properties
Disasters paid out here
7
of 18 declared for Penobscot County
By hazard

What Old Town 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

81%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Ice storms

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Winter storms top 1% Tornadoes Hail Lightning Strong wind Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Old Town’s grade

River and rain flooding is 81% of the building damage FEMA expects in Old Town, and Old Town’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 5%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Old Town sits
Old Town
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C #140 of 143 in Maine; higher expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Old Town’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding81%Hurricanes8%Ice storms5%Everything else6%

The typical Maine town has lower expected damage than 70% of U.S. towns; within the state, Old Town has more expected damage per building than 98% of Maine towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.2M a year in losses across Old Town: $1.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Old Town covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Old Town flood? Sometimes: 17 flood claims since 1984

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Old Town, from FEMA’s records: 4.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1984: 1 claim1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 6 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 1 claim1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 4 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 3 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 2 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198720052008
19842026
17
paid claims since 1984
$120K
paid to owners
2
homes flooded more than once
$7K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Old Town isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Penobscot County.
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Old Town

Disasters that paid out in Old Town itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Old Town), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2017Severe Storm and Flooding$74K to the City of Old Town for repairs
  2. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$16K aid approved$22K to the City of Old Town for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2005Snow$24K to the City of Old Town for repairs
  4. 2005Record And/or Near Record Snow$27K to the City of Old Town for repairs
  5. 2003Snow$13K to the City of Old Town for repairs
  6. 2003Snow$11K to the City of Old Town for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2001Snow$12K to the City of Old Town for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Old TownPenobscot County only

Penobscot County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Old Town after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Old Town archive →
Next door

Old Town and its neighbors

Old Town is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Orono: hazard risk B+Milford: hazard risk C+Bradley: hazard risk C+Alton: not gradedOronoMilfordBradleyAltonOld Town
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
OronoB+less damage than 69%river and rain flooding6
MilfordC+more damage than 62%river and rain flooding41
BradleyC+more damage than 62%river and rain flooding14
Old TownCmore damage than 68%river and rain flooding17
Alton—819 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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Old Town faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Ice storms
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Old Town

Is Old Town at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Old Town has higher expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk, #140 of 143 in Maine. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (81%) and hurricanes (8%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Old Town flood?

Flood insurance has paid 17 claims in Old Town since 1984, $120K in all, or 4.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once.

Is Old Town 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 Penobscot County, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Old Town?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Old Town’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 Old Town?

By FEMA money that reached Old Town, Severe Storm and Flooding (2017): $74K to the City of Old Town for repairs.

Is Old Town at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (81%), and Old Town’s rate for it is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Old Town.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Old Town’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.