Risk Before Buy
ZIP Code Risk Report · ME

Lewiston: Flood, Earthquake & Severe Storm (04240)

04240 in Lewiston, ME: flood and earthquake risk, est. insurance $2,462–$4,748/yr, and buyer guidance before you close.

Lewiston, Maine 04240

Data retrieved: Oct 29, 2026 at 13:04 UTC

Overall Risk

Below the national median (safer than most)

County-level composite

Est. Annual Insurance

$2,462 – $4,748

Directional range

Premium Strain

5.28% of median income

severe

Flood Insurance

Likely required

FEMA NFHL flagged SFHA

Flood-first due diligence

Is 04240 in a flood zone — and what will insurance cost?

  • FEMA maps flag SFHA exposure in parts of 04240; lenders often require a separate flood policy.
  • Budget homeowners around $2,462–$4,748/yr, then add a flood quote if the parcel is in an SFHA.
  • Compare 04240 with nearby ZIPs in Lewiston before you lock price or inspection timelines.

Quick buyer brief

What makes 04240 different

A short, indexable summary for buyers comparing 04240 with nearby options in Lewiston.

04240 ranks below the national median (safer than most) for overall climate risk, with the biggest current drivers being flood or earthquake.

Buyers in this ZIP should budget roughly $2,462 - $4,748/yr for homeowners insurance before carrier-specific adjustments. FEMA data suggests some addresses may require flood insurance.

If you are choosing between nearby ZIP codes, compare this page with the state overview and the nearby-ZIP links below before you write an offer.

Maine overviewContract templatesRun free address lookup

Insurance Market Context

These scores are county-level composites derived from FEMA National Risk Index. Individual parcels may differ significantly. This is not a property appraisal.

Market Pressure

LOW

Maine has a stable admitted-carrier market. Standard brokers can write policies here.

Admitted Market Share

87%

Carriers exiting at 1.3% YoY in Maine.

Residual Market

$1,300–$2,600

annual · last-resort
FAIR Plan / Citizens exposure up 5% since 2020.

Premium Strain Index

Insurance is roughly 5.3% of median household income — the First Street 12th National Risk Assessment characterizes anything above 5% as financially unsustainable.

Premium-to-income ratio. Based on state Department of Insurance filings, average annual premiums in this area range from $2,462 to $4,748. Not an insurance quote. The First Street 12th National Risk Assessment characterizes any ZIP above 5% as financially unsustainable.

Not an insurance quote. These figures are derived from public state Department of Insurance filings and are intended to surface market pressure signals. Actual premiums depend on parcel-specific underwriting factors and carrier availability. Consult a licensed insurance broker for a binding quote.

Unknown County Hazard Breakdown

Scores below are from the federal National Risk Index at the county level, refined with parcel-level signals where available (FEMA NFHL for flood, USDA WHP for wildfire, USGS PGA for earthquake, NWS for heat).

Below the national median (safer than most)

Hurricane

Low

Around the national median

Earthquake

Moderate

Below the national median (safer than most)

Extreme Heat

Low

Above the national median (top 31% most at-risk)

Flood

High

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)

Wildfire

Minimal

Around the national median

Severe Storm / Tornado

Moderate
Hazard
Risk Level
Score · Source
Hurricane
Below the national median (safer than most)· FEMA
Earthquake
Around the national median· USGS
Extreme Heat
Below the national median (safer than most)· NOAA
Flood
Above the national median (top 31% most at-risk)· FEMA
Wildfire
Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)· USDA
Severe Storm / Tornado
Around the national median· FEMA

Local Flood Risk Cost Estimator

Flood insurance costs in Lewiston, ME

In Lewiston, ME, the directional annual NFIP flood insurance premium is approximately $1,985 (range $1,489–$3,500), and the estimated average historical flood claim in Androscoggin is $62,868. Typical mapped exposure aligns with Zone A / AE (SFHA) (county flood percentile: 69).

NFIP premium (mid)
$1,985/yr
Monthly escrow slice
$124–$292/mo
Avg. paid claim
$62,868
Lender may require
Likely yes (SFHA)
Check my flood zoneFlood + escrow calculator

What each hazard means for you

Expand any card to see the federal source citation and the buyer-specific action items our research team recommends for this hazard profile.

Hurricane Risk

Below the national median (safer than most)Low

Federal hurricane data unavailable; score is a seed estimate.

FEMA · National Risk Index (HRCN)

Earthquake Risk

Around the national medianModerate

Around the national median for earthquake exposure. USGS PGA: 0.184g. NRI county data unavailable.

USGS · Design Maps (ASCE 7-16) + NRI

Extreme Heat

Below the national median (safer than most)Low

Federal heat data unavailable; score is a seed estimate.

NOAA · National Risk Index (HWAV)

Flood Risk

Above the national median (top 31% most at-risk)High

Federal flood data unavailable for this location; score is a seed estimate.

FEMA · National Risk Index

Wildfire Risk

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)Minimal

USDA Wildfire Hazard Potential at parcel: Very Low (Class 1/5). NRI county data unavailable.

USDA · WHP + National Risk Index

Severe Storm / Tornado

Around the national medianModerate

Federal severe-storm data unavailable; score is a seed estimate.

FEMA · National Risk Index (TRND)

FEMA Flood Zone

Is this specific parcel in a Special Flood Hazard Area?

The free address snapshot queries FEMA NFHL point-in-polygon and returns your exact FEMA Flood Zone (A, AE, X, etc.) in seconds.

Run a free address lookup

Carrier Outlook

Maine has a stable admitted-carrier market. Standard brokers can write policies here.

Data Sources

FEMA NRINOAAUSGSUSDAEPA
Data Sources & Methodology

FEMA— National Risk Index

Retrieved October 29, 2026

View source

FEMA— National Risk Index (HRCN)

Retrieved October 29, 2026

View source

USDA— WHP + National Risk Index

Retrieved October 29, 2026

View source

USGS— Design Maps (ASCE 7-16) + NRI

Retrieved October 29, 2026

View source

NOAA— National Risk Index (HWAV)

Retrieved October 29, 2026

View source

FEMA— National Risk Index (TRND)

Retrieved October 29, 2026

View source
View full methodology

What buyers should know

Buying in 04240: a risk primer

Before you write an offer on a home in Lewiston, understand how climate and insurance costs affect long-term ownership in 04240.

04240 in Lewiston, Maine, scores below the national median (safer than most) on our composite climate-risk index. That ranking reflects the combined influence of flood risk (69), earthquake shaking risk (46), and tornado (42) in this ZIP code. Before writing an offer, buyers should understand which hazard drives the score and how it shows up in insurance premiums and long-term maintenance costs.

The data below is assembled from five federal sources — FEMA (flood and National Risk Index), NOAA (storm history and heat), USGS (seismic design), and USDA (wildfire hazard potential) — and is refreshed quarterly. Use it as a starting point for due diligence, not a substitute for a licensed inspector, structural engineer, or insurance agent.

Flood risk in 04240

The flood risk score for 04240 is 69 (high), which is above the national median. 04240 maps to a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area or near-SFHA zone in Lewiston. With FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 now pricing policies by parcel-level risk rather than just zone, buyers here should expect flood premiums to rise over the life of ownership. A LOMA (Letter of Map Amendment) may help if the finished floor is clearly above the BFE, but the process takes 60–90 days.

For a specific address inside 04240, this score can shift meaningfully. A home on a ridge may have lower flood exposure than one in a valley; a parcel surrounded by irrigated lawn may have lower wildfire exposure than one against open space. The $19 Risk Before Buy report resolves these parcel-level differences and includes a 30-year projection for each hazard.

Earthquake risk in 04240

The earthquake shaking risk score for 04240 is 46 (moderate), which is around or slightly above the national median. 04240 has moderate earthquake exposure. Most homeowners policies exclude earthquake damage here, so buyers should price a standalone earthquake policy or rider and verify whether the home is bolted to the foundation and has a cripple-wall retrofit.

For a specific address inside 04240, this score can shift meaningfully. A home on a ridge may have lower flood exposure than one in a valley; a parcel surrounded by irrigated lawn may have lower wildfire exposure than one against open space. The $19 Risk Before Buy report resolves these parcel-level differences and includes a 30-year projection for each hazard.

Tornado risk in 04240

The tornado score for 04240 is 42 (moderate), which is around or slightly above the national median.

For a specific address inside 04240, this score can shift meaningfully. A home on a ridge may have lower flood exposure than one in a valley; a parcel surrounded by irrigated lawn may have lower wildfire exposure than one against open space. The $19 Risk Before Buy report resolves these parcel-level differences and includes a 30-year projection for each hazard.

Insurance is where climate risk becomes a monthly payment. In 04240, our directional estimate for a standard homeowners policy plus required hazard coverage is $2,462 – $4,748 per year. That estimate assumes a mid-range home and does not include optional coverages such as earthquake, flood (where not required), or higher wind deductibles.

Relative to local incomes, that premium range equals approximately 5.28% of the Unknown County median household income — a severe premium-to-income burden. As a rule of thumb, premiums above 3–4% of household income begin to compress affordability and can reduce the pool of future buyers when you eventually sell.

Buyer action items

  • Get carrier quotes early. Ask at least two admitted-market carriers and one surplus-line broker for a homeowners quote that explicitly includes flood risk, earthquake shaking risk, and tornado. Do this before the inspection contingency expires.
  • Add a climate contingency to the purchase agreement. Our free Maine-specific contract templates let you make the deal contingent on acceptable insurance premiums, flood-zone status, or seller-provided mitigation documentation.
  • Order hazard-specific inspections if the top risks warrant it. In 04240, that may mean a flood-zone determination, a wildfire/defensible-space assessment, a structural/seismic review, or a wind-mitigation inspection depending on which hazards score highest.

Frequently asked questions about 04240

Ready to underwrite 04240?

Get the full address-level report

Both tiers use verified federal data. The $19 snapshot is your pre-offer feasibility check (delivered within 5 minutes). The $99 audit adds parcel flood verification, market context, claim history, and a negotiation brief (within 24 hours).

Full Report

Tier L2

$19per address

Address-level hazard and insurance feasibility snapshot — five hazards, 30-year projections, carrier pressure signals, and a buy / negotiate / walk-away read for pre-offer buyers. PDF delivered within 5 minutes.

  • Five-hazard score breakdown: flood, wildfire, hurricane, earthquake, heat
  • 30-year federal climate projections for heat, wildfire, and sea level rise
  • Insurance premium estimate range based on state DOI filings
  • Clear buy / negotiate / walk-away recommendation with plain-language reasoning
  • Comparable lower-risk communities within 25 miles (up to 3 when available)
  • Plain-English explanations of SFHA, BFE, residual market, and other insurance terms
  • Single PDF you can share with your partner, agent, or inspector

Best for: pre-offer sanity check

Delivered: PDF by email within 5 minutes

Federal data: FEMA, USGS, NOAA, USDA, EPA

Delivered by email within 5 minutes of payment.

Most comprehensive

Pre-Purchase Audit

Tier L3

$99per property

Under-contract diligence package: parcel flood zone verification, state insurance market analysis, NOAA claim history, and an evidence-backed negotiation brief to assess earnest-money risk. PDF delivered within 24 hours.

  • Everything in the $19 Full Report
  • Parcel-level FEMA flood zone verification (Zone A/AE/VE/X — point-in-polygon)
  • State insurance market analysis: admitted carrier share, exit rate, residual market growth
  • Premium Strain Index — insurance cost as % of local median income, with 2% / 5% affordability benchmarks
  • 10-year NOAA Storm Events claim history for the ZIP code
  • Negotiation leverage brief with specific, evidence-backed seller-concession asks (typically 3–5; fewer when data is limited)
  • Total carrying cost estimate: HO-3 baseline + standalone perils + residual market fallback
  • Identifies whether the property may become hard to insure before you close
  • Gives you specific talking points for price, credits, and contingency negotiation

Best for: under-contract buyers

Delivered: PDF by email within 24 hours

Includes: 7-day no-questions-asked refund

Delivered by email within 24 hours of payment.

Nearby ZIP risk profiles in Androscoggin

Compare climate and insurance risk across neighboring ZIP codes before you commit to a specific address in Lewiston.

Explore 04240 in context

Indexable hub links for buyers comparing 04240 with the wider Lewiston market and Maine insurance trends.

How we score 04240

Free contract templates for Maine buyers

Download free climate-risk contingency addendums written for Maine purchase agreements. Add flood, earthquake, or tornado contingencies to your offer.

Browse free templates