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Natural hazards · Rye

Rye, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rye comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 215 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Rye?

65
High
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding44%Coastal flooding40%Hurricanes5%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Rye faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

40% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rye flood?

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

215paid claims since 1978
$3.9Mpaid to owners
17homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 47 claims, $564K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $38K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Rye isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rockingham County.
Disasters that hit Rye

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RyeDeclared for Rockingham County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

$257K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2018

Severe Storm and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$16K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$1K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$25K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$14K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$15K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $654 aid approved $9K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

63 households applied for aid $101K aid approved $31K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$13K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2003

Snow

$12K to the Town of Rye for repairs
2001

Snow

$24K to the Town of Rye for repairs
Rockingham County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Rye

Rye and the towns around it

New Castle: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Hampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPortsmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingKittery: Low, mostly inland floodingGreenland: Very low, mostly inland floodingHampton: Very high, mostly coastal floodingStratham: Low, mostly inland floodingNewington: Very low, mostly inland floodingEliot: Low, mostly inland floodingYork: Low, mostly inland floodingNewmarket: High, mostly inland floodingRye: High, mostly inland flooding RyeNew CastleNorth HamptonPortsmouthKitteryGreenland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Ryemostly inland floodingHigh
North Hamptonmostly inland floodingModerate
Kitterymostly inland floodingLow
Portsmouthmostly inland floodingLow
New Castlemostly inland floodingVery low
Greenlandmostly 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. Rye covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rye’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Rye. 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 Rye total about $2.6M 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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