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Natural hazards · Rockland

Rockland, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rockland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1996. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Rockland?

16
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rockland to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes8%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Rockland faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rockland flood?

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

6paid claims since 1996
$33Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $19K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Rockland 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 Rockland

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RocklandDeclared for Plymouth County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$198K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$36K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$410K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$6K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$21K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

180 households applied for aid $280K aid approved
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $10K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$83K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
2003

Snow

$140K to the Town of Rockland for repairs
Plymouth County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Rockland

Rockland and the towns around it

Hanover: Very low, mostly inland floodingAbington: Low, mostly inland floodingNorwell: Very low, mostly inland floodingPembroke: Very low, mostly inland floodingHanson: Very low, mostly inland floodingBrockton: Low, mostly inland floodingWhitman: Low, mostly inland floodingMarshfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingScituate: Low, mostly inland floodingHingham: Low, mostly inland floodingRockland: Very low, mostly inland flooding RocklandHanoverAbingtonNorwell
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Abingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Norwellmostly inland floodingVery low
Rocklandmostly inland floodingVery low
Hanovermostly 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. Rockland covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rockland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Rockland. 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 Rockland total about $2.7M 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.

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