Natural hazards · Rockingham

Rockingham, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rockingham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 2008. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rockingham?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rockingham to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes15%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Rockingham faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Rockingham flood?

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

11paid claims since 2008

$166Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Hanna: 3 claims, $46K
Hurricane Florence: 2 claims, $32K
Hurricane Matthew: 2 claims, $62K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Rockingham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Richmond County.

Disasters that hit Rockingham

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RockinghamDeclared for Richmond County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

663 households applied for aid $207K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

109 households applied for aid $51K aid approved

Richmond County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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. Rockingham covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rockingham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rockingham. 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 Rockingham total about $1.2M 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.