Flood Insurance in Maine: Coastal Surge, River Floods and the New Disclosure Law

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Maine floods two ways, and in the winter of 2023 to 2024 it did both in less than four weeks. A December rainstorm on frozen ground sent the Kennebec over its banks in Hallowell and Skowhegan. Then two January storms drove the sea into wharves, beach roads and waterfront homes from Kittery to Harpswell. Flood insurance in Maine has to cover a riverside camp in Rumford and a shingle-style cottage at Kennebunk Beach.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-run independent agency in Portsmouth, NH, licensed in Maine. Maine homeowners work with us by phone and email from our Portsmouth base, just over the bridge. We work with 40+ carriers and have placed flood coverage on both sides of the Piscataqua since 2005. Call (603) 431-4020 with an address and we will look it up.

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Two kinds of Maine flood

Rivers and rain: December 18, 2023

The storm of December 18, 2023 brought heavy rain and snowmelt onto frozen, saturated ground across western and central Maine. NOAA’s storm records describe major flooding on the Kennebec, with the river at Hallowell cresting near 22.5 feet on December 19 and the flow at Skowhegan reaching roughly 178,000 cubic feet per second (NOAA storm events database). In the request for a federal disaster declaration, the Governor’s office reported 13 homes destroyed and 106 with major damage statewide (Office of Governor Janet Mills).

Many of those houses were not on the coast and not in a mapped high-risk zone. River towns, lake camps, homes with finished basements and roads with culverts that wash out all carry flood exposure that a flood map can understate.

The sea: January 10 and 13, 2024

Three weeks later the coast took its turn. The January 13 storm arrived on an astronomical high tide, and water at the Portland gauge peaked at 14.57 feet (measured from mean lower low water), topping the 14.17 feet of the Blizzard of 1978 (National Weather Service, Gray). Surge and waves damaged piers, seawalls, beach roads and homes in York County and Casco Bay. Storm surge is flood under every homeowners policy, so the flood policy is the one that responds.

Know your map: York County and the rest of Maine

FEMA flood maps set which properties are in a special flood hazard area, where lenders require flood insurance. In York County, new countywide flood maps took effect on July 17, 2024 (Town of Kennebunk flood map notice). Some homes moved into a high-risk zone, some moved out, and some changed between an A zone and a coastal V zone, which affects how a building has to be elevated and how a flood policy is underwritten.

The state Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) runs the floodplain management program and keeps links to current maps and to the National Flood Insurance Program for each community (MOCA mapping resources; MOCA flood insurance page). To check a property:

• Search the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and note the zone and the panel date.
• Ask the town’s code enforcement or floodplain administrator about any local elevation rules.
• Find an elevation certificate if the house has one; it is often in the closing file or the town record.
• If the house sits on high ground inside a mapped zone, ask a surveyor whether a Letter of Map Amendment is worth pursuing.

The Maine seller flood disclosure law

In 2024 the Legislature added flood items to the property disclosure that sellers of Maine residential real estate must provide (33 MRSA §173). The disclosure must state:

• whether any part of the property is in a FEMA special flood hazard area on the effective flood map, and the flood zone;
• any flood events that affected the property while the seller owned it, and any flood damage to structures;
• any flood insurance claims filed, with dates; and
• any federal or state flood disaster aid received, with dates.

For buyers this is useful underwriting information, and it lines up with the questions a flood carrier asks. A disclosed claim may lead a carrier to ask about repairs and mitigation. A disclosed zone tells you whether the lender will require a policy at closing. Send us the disclosure early in the purchase, not the week of the closing, so a flood quote and the 30-day NFIP waiting period are not a last-minute problem. Sellers should keep claim paperwork and repair invoices together; they are the best answer to a buyer’s questions.

Rebuilding on the coast: Maine’s dune rules

Much of the southern Maine shore, including parts of Wells, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, Saco and Old Orchard Beach, sits in coastal sand dune systems regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection under Chapter 355 of its rules. After the 2024 storms, DEP explained the rebuild rules in a homeowner FAQ (Maine DEP sand dune repair FAQ):

• The half-value threshold. If the repair costs half or more of the building’s value before the work, it counts as reconstruction and needs a DEP permit under the Natural Resources Protection Act.
• Landward and no larger. A rebuilt structure on a frontal dune generally has to move landward where practicable and cannot grow its footprint.
• Posts or piles. Reconstructed buildings need a post or pile foundation, with the bottom of the first-floor framing at least three feet above natural grade, or higher if the town floodplain ordinance requires it (06-096 CMR Chapter 355).

Those rules can add real cost to a rebuild. Two policy features matter here. An NFIP building policy includes Increased Cost of Compliance coverage, which can help with elevation or other work a community requires after substantial flood damage. On the homeowners side, ordinance or law coverage helps with the extra cost of meeting building rules after a covered non-flood loss, such as a wind or fire claim. Ask us to show both on your quotes.

NFIP or private flood in Maine?

New NFIP flood policies go through Selective. The NFIP building limit tops out at $250,000 and contents at $100,000, and the policy carries limits on basements and on additional living expenses. Private flood carriers can offer higher building limits, cover loss of use while the house is repaired, or treat basements differently. We compare Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge for Maine addresses, and many coastal owners pair an NFIP policy with excess flood above it.

• Waiting period. New NFIP policies usually take effect 30 days after purchase (FloodSmart). Private waiting periods vary.
• Lender acceptance. Federally backed lenders accept qualifying private flood policies; we confirm wording before closing.
• Condos. In a Maine condominium, the association’s master flood policy covers the building, and your unit policy covers your contents and improvements. See our Maine condex insurance page.
• Seasonal homes. A camp or cottage that sits empty in the off-season still needs year-round flood coverage; ice jams and snowmelt floods happen in winter and spring.

What an NFIP policy does and does not cover in a basement

Basements catch many Maine flood claims, especially in river towns and older capes with fieldstone foundations. The NFIP treats a basement as any floor below ground level on all sides, and it covers only a short list of items there. Knowing that list before a flood avoids a hard conversation after one.

• Usually covered under building coverage: the foundation, the furnace or boiler, the water heater, central air equipment, electrical panels, fuel tanks and the fuel in them, well and sump pumps, unfinished drywall that has not been taped or painted, and cleanup after the water recedes.
• Usually covered under contents coverage: a clothes washer and dryer and certain food storage appliances, if you carry contents coverage.
• Usually not covered: finished walls and floors, carpet, furniture, a basement den or guest room, and most personal belongings stored below grade.

Private flood policies sometimes handle basements more broadly. If your basement is finished, or holds a home gym, a wine collection or family records, ask us to compare how each option treats it. The simplest fix is often physical: move valuables upstairs, raise the oil tank and boiler on a platform, and add a backup power source for the sump pump.

Sea level and planning for the long term

The Maine Climate Council’s 2024 science update recommends that the state plan for, or “commit to manage,” 1.5 feet of relative sea-level rise by 2050 and 4 feet by 2100, measured from 2000 (Maine Climate Council, 2024 Scientific Assessment). Higher base water levels mean that a storm like January 2024 reaches farther inland. For owners, the practical steps are the same: know your elevation, keep utilities and the heating system above expected flood levels where you can, and review the flood policy whenever the house or the map changes.

Flood insurance for the Maine towns we serve most

Most of our Maine clients live in York County, a short drive from our Portsmouth office. Our town pages cover local flood zones, older homes and seasonal use: Kittery, York, Ogunquit and Wells, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport and Eliot and South Berwick. For the house policy itself, start with Maine homeowners and second-home insurance.

Our general flood insurance page explains how flood policies work, and our flood quote form takes you straight to a request.

A short Maine flood checklist

• Look up the zone and panel date for the address.
• Find or order an elevation certificate.
• Read the seller disclosure for flood history if you are buying.
• Decide on building and contents limits, and whether excess flood makes sense.
• Add sewer and drain backup to the homeowners policy.
• Buy flood coverage at least 30 days before you need it.
• Photograph the basement, mechanicals and contents each spring.

Get a Maine flood quote

Have the address ready, along with the year built, the foundation type and an elevation certificate if you have one. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. Fill in the request below, go to the flood quote page, or phone (603) 431-4020; we pick up Monday to Thursday 9 to 5 and Friday 8 to 4, Eastern time. We don’t charge any fees. Our clients have left 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials, collected on our client feedback page.

Frequently asked questions

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Maine?

No. Standard homeowners policies exclude flood from surface water, storm surge and overflowing rivers. Flood coverage comes from a separate NFIP policy or a private flood policy. Water that backs up through a drain or sewer is a different peril again, usually handled by an endorsement on the homeowners policy.

Do I need flood insurance if my Maine home is not in a high-risk zone?

Lenders only require it in a special flood hazard area, but flooding does not follow map lines. The December 2023 storm flooded homes along the Kennebec, Androscoggin and other rivers, and many inland and moderate-risk properties carry flood coverage by choice. We can quote it for any address.

What does Maine’s flood disclosure law require from sellers?

Since 2024, the property disclosure for residential sales in Maine must say whether the property is wholly or partly in a FEMA special flood hazard area on the effective flood map and which zone applies, and report flood events, flood damage, flood insurance claims and flood-recovery disaster aid during the seller’s ownership. Buyers should read that section closely and share it with us.

Is there a waiting period for flood insurance in Maine?

A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase, with exceptions such as a policy bought in connection with a new mortgage loan. Private flood waiting periods vary by carrier. Buy before storm season, not when a storm is in the forecast.

When did the York County flood maps change?

New countywide flood maps for York County took effect on July 17, 2024. If your home is in Kittery, York, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunk or another York County town, check the current panel on the FEMA Map Service Center and send us the result.

Can I rebuild a damaged house on a Maine sand dune?

Often, but under conditions. Under Maine DEP coastal sand dune rules, repairs that cost half or more of the building’s pre-project value count as reconstruction and need a permit. Rebuilds on a frontal dune generally move landward where practicable, keep or shrink the footprint and sit on posts or piles. Ask how your home and flood policies handle the added cost of meeting those rules.

Who writes flood insurance through Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance?

New NFIP flood policies go through Selective. On the private side we can place Maine flood with the six carriers listed above. Call (603) 431-4020 or start online. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy.

Sources

• 33 MRSA §173, property disclosure requirements, including flood items
• Town of Kennebunk, FEMA flood maps effective July 17, 2024
• State of Maine, MOCA floodplain mapping resources
• State of Maine, MOCA flood insurance page
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• FloodSmart, buying a flood policy
• NOAA NCEI storm events database, December 2023 Kennebec flooding
• Office of Governor Janet Mills, December 2023 disaster declaration request
• National Weather Service Gray, record Portland tide (Jan. 13, 2024)
• Maine DEP, sand dune storm repair FAQ
• 06-096 CMR Chapter 355, coastal sand dune rules
• Maine Climate Council, 2024 Scientific and Technical Subcommittee report

General information about flood risk and flood insurance in Maine. It is not a quote, a binder or legal advice, and coverage depends on the policy form and carrier underwriting. Flood maps and state rules change; confirm current details with FEMA, your town and Maine DEP.