Storms, floods and disasters in Shirley
Shirley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Shirley has 234 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Shirley 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
Ice storms
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 Shirley flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Shirley. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Shirley 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.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Shirley
Disasters that paid out in Shirley itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Shirley), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Storm and Flooding$60K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams$3K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
Piscataquis County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Shirley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Shirley archive →Shirley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Monson | — | 596 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 Shirley 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.
- 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.
- 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 Shirley
Is Shirley 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 Shirley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Shirley’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 Shirley?
By FEMA money that reached Shirley, Severe Storm and Flooding (2023): $60K to the Town of Shirley for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Shirley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Shirley’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.