How Likely Is a Tornado in Somerset County, ME?
How likely is a tornado in Somerset County, ME?
Somerset County has recorded 13 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 5.8 years - our Low band. Put another way: Somerset County sees more tornado activity than 36% of US counties. Among 16 Maine counties in this dataset, Somerset County ranks 5 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
9 weak and 4 significant tornadoes make up Somerset County's 13-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Somerset County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Maine has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Maine this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
51,338 people live in Somerset County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Maine than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Somerset County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 3,924 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Somerset County has about 51,338 residents.