Natural hazards · Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rocky Mount comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 830 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rocky Mount?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rocky Mount to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes12%Tornadoes10%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Rocky Mount faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rocky Mount flood?

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

830paid claims since 1978

$40.1Mpaid to owners

55homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 481 claims, $30.0M
Hurricane Matthew: 177 claims, $7.4M
Hurricane Fran: 28 claims, $432K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Rocky Mount is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Nash County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

278flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Rocky Mount

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Rocky MountDeclared for Nash County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

240 households applied for aid $229K aid approved $83K to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

1,145 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $806K to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

756 households applied for aid $535K aid approved $4.1M to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

303 households applied for aid $324K aid approved $761K to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$666K to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$23K to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$17.0M to the City of Rocky Mount for repairs

Nash County has had 22 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. Rocky Mount covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rocky Mount’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rocky Mount. 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 Rocky Mount total about $16.5M 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.