York County, ME
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
York County has experienced 42 federally declared disasters since 1970, most recently Severe Storms And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
York County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, hurricane, and coastal flooding, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 25% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (13th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. York County has been designated in 42 declarations since 1970, covering 8 disaster types including severe storm (18), snowstorm (6), flood (6).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2022 | Coastal Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Coastal Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2015 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 42 total declarations since 1970.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 56.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.3 | 12 | 0 | $2.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.8 | 2 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 52.8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 46.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 28.5 | 8 | 0 | $200K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 50.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 67.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 98.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 47.2 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 65.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 5 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
York County ranks in the 13th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 13th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 16th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 12th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 22nd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 29th | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 13th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 14th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 67.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 21 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 12 in 2016–20 vs 9 in 2021–25 (-25% — frequency decreasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in York County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in York County, Maine are ice storm, hurricane, and coastal flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has York County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. York County has received 42 federal disaster declarations since 1970, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (18 declarations).
Has York County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for York County include Severe Winter Storm (2024), Severe Storms And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1970.
How does York County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Rockingham County, NH has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Belknap County, NH has the lowest (Relatively Low). York County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is York County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
York County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. York County's composite score of 82 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 82% of US counties.