TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
RochesterGood evening
Natural hazards · Rochester

Rochester, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rochester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Rochester?

39
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rochester to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes13%Drought5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Rochester faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Drought

5% of expected damage
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Rochester flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Rochester, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 1978
$4Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Rochester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Plymouth County.
Disasters that hit Rochester

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Rochester itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Rochester.

Brought FEMA money into RochesterDeclared for Plymouth County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$43K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$49K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$53K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$69K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$13K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$36K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

55 households applied for aid $74K aid approved $17K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$65K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$31K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
2003

Snow

$32K to the Town of Rochester for repairs
Plymouth County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Rochester

Rochester and the towns around it

Wareham: Low, mostly inland floodingMattapoisett: Low, mostly inland floodingMarion: Low, mostly inland floodingMiddleborough: Low, mostly inland floodingAcushnet: Very low, mostly inland floodingPlymouth: Very low, mostly inland floodingBourne: Low, mostly inland floodingCarver: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFairhaven: Very low, mostly inland floodingLakeville: Low, mostly inland floodingBridgewater Town: Low, mostly inland floodingRaynham: Low, mostly inland floodingTaunton: Low, mostly inland floodingPlympton: Low, mostly inland floodingHalifax: Low, mostly inland floodingFreetown: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Bedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingRochester: Low, mostly inland flooding RochesterWarehamMattapoisettMarionMiddleboroughAcushnet
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rochestermostly inland floodingLow
Warehammostly inland floodingLow
Mattapoisettmostly inland floodingLow
Middleboroughmostly inland floodingLow
Marionmostly inland floodingLow
Acushnetmostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Rochester covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rochester’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Rochester. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Rochester total about $1.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Rochester, MAPlymouth CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Rochester is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map