Flood & Hurricane Risk in Augusta
Augusta carries real, documented, recurring Kennebec River flood risk this record discloses directly with dated reference events spanning a historic 1936 flood, a historic April 1987 flood, and a real, current December 2023 event -- while carrying no direct hurricane risk as an inland, central-Maine city.
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Learn moreA Real, Well-Documented, Multi-Decade Flood History
A 1936 flood destroyed or damaged 81 highway bridges statewide, caused 5 deaths, and caused a real, cited $25 million in damage (1936 dollars), setting peak-of-record river levels that stood for over 50 years. An April 1987 flood reached a real, cited historic level of approximately 34 feet, severely flooding Augusta's Front Street.
A Real, Current December 2023 Flood
The Kennebec at Augusta reached near its 3rd-all-time-high water level in December 2023 -- described by the National Weather Service as central Maine's most severe flood since 1987, damaging dozens of downtown Augusta businesses, several of which local news outlets reported were still recovering financially a year later.
A Real, Separate, Recurring Ice-Jam Flood Risk
Ice-jam flooding is a real, separate, recurring risk on the Kennebec disclosed directly -- for example, a 2018 ice jam extending more than a mile along the river from Farmingdale to Hallowell pushed water above flood stage in Augusta. The National Weather Service's official flood stage for the Kennebec at Augusta is 12.0 feet.
No Direct Hurricane Risk as an Inland City
Augusta -- an inland, central-Maine city -- carries no direct hurricane landfall risk, consistent with Maine's broader statewide research context. This record did not independently confirm current Augusta-specific seismic- or tornado-hazard ratings this pass, consistent with Maine's broadly low profile on both.
Confirm a Specific Property's Current Flood-Zone Status Directly
This record's own web-search budget was exhausted before a current First Street Foundation percentage-of-properties-at-risk figure for Augusta specifically could be confirmed this pass -- a real, disclosed gap. Confirm a specific target property's current flood-zone status directly via FEMA flood maps, and price separate flood insurance given standard homeowners policies' typical flood exclusion.
Key takeaways
- A 1936 flood (5 deaths, $25M in 1936-dollar statewide damage) and an April 1987 flood (~34-foot historic level, severe Front Street flooding) mark Augusta's real, documented historic flood record.
- A December 2023 flood reached near the 3rd-all-time-high Kennebec water level at Augusta, the most severe since 1987, damaging dozens of downtown businesses.
- Ice-jam flooding is a real, separate, recurring risk on the Kennebec, disclosed directly rather than omitted.
- Augusta carries no direct hurricane risk as an inland city, and this record did not confirm current Augusta-specific seismic- or tornado-hazard ratings this pass.
- Confirm a specific property's current flood-zone status directly via FEMA maps -- this record could not confirm First Street's precise percentage figures for Augusta this pass.
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