Hancock County, Maine severe weather history spans 136 recorded events between 1970 and 2024. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,756 nationally and #13 in Maine.
136
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$2.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Hancock County, Maine severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hancock County, Maine severe weather history averages 2.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 52 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 128 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hancock County, Maine record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $2.1M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hancock County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 71 | 0 | $0 | 82 | 1970–2024 |
| Hail | 22 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1986–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $2.1M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $628K | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Lightning | 10 | 1 | $10K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $25K | F1 | 1977–1977 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $38K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Waterspout | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Hancock County, Maine severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-08-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-08-17 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hancock County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 2000 | Lightning | STONINGTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2023 | Lightning | WEST ELLSWORTH | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 5, 2023 | Lightning | ELLSWORTH | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Lightning | BAR HARBOR | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Rainfall totals generally ranged from 2.00 to 4.00 inches…with local totals in excess of 5.00 inches. The heavy rains produced flash flooding. Numerous roads were closed or damaged to varying extents due to washouts. Damage to bridges and culverts also occurred. Extensive road damage occurred in the vicinity of Winter Harbor and across the Schoodic Peninsula. Main Street in Winter Harbor was flooded with water up to the entrances of some businesses. Washouts and road closures were reported on Birch Harbor Road…Summer Harbor Road. Due to road damage…there was no access to portions of Acadia National Park on the Schoodic Peninsula. Near Prospect Harbor…both Route 186 and Pond Road were closed due to flooding and washouts.
Storm total rainfall of 4.00 to 6.00 inches…with localized totals in excess of 7.00 inches…contributed to flash flooding across the region. Moore Road…the west entrance to Acadia National Park Schoodic Point…was washed out and impassable due to flash flooding. East Schoodic Drive…the east entrance to Acadia National Park Schoodic Point…was also washed out and impassable due to flash flooding.
Storm total rainfall of 4.50 to 6.00 inches in less than 12 hours was common across Acadia National Park from Saturday evening through mid morning Sunday…with local totals in excess of 7.00 inches. A maximum total of 7.61 inches was reported at Bar Harbor. Flash flooding was reported from Bar Harbor to Northeast Harbor where many roads were closed and damaged…with 1 to 2 feet of water covering some roads. In the Bar Harbor area…Cromwell Brook Road…Cottage Street…West Street and Route 3 were all closed due to flash flooding. Elsewhere on Mount Desert Island…Seal Cove Road was flooded and heavily damaged in spots. Additional flooding was reported at Northeast Harbor along Route 198 which was damaged and debris covered. Most of the carriage road and fire road system within Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island was closed due to major washouts.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
56,460
Population (ACS)
$310K
Median home value
39
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 14, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LEE | EM |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hancock County, Maine?
136 events are on record between 1970 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths and $2.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hancock County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 71 recorded events — 52.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hancock County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hancock County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hancock County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hancock County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hancock County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 55 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hancock County, Maine severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Franklin County 285
- Kennebec County 377
- Cumberland County 602
- Knox County 95
- Aroostook County 934
- Lincoln County 120
Cite this page
“Hancock County, Maine.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maine/hancock-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.