Natural hazards · Rock Hill

Rock Hill, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rock Hill comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rock Hill?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rock Hill to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding47%Tornadoes28%Earthquakes6%Ice storms5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Rock Hill faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

28% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Rock Hill flood?

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

10paid claims since 1979

$108Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Rock Hill is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: York County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Rock Hill

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Rock HillDeclared for York County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

3,089 households applied for aid $2.9M aid approved $454K to the City of Rock Hill for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

2 households applied for aid $560 aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$545K to the City of Rock Hill for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$350K to the City of Rock Hill for repairs

York County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Rock Hill

Rock Hill and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

India Hookmostly inland floodingModerate

Lessliemostly inland floodingLow

Newportmostly inland floodingLow

Rock Hillmostly inland floodingLow

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. Rock Hill covers 20 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rock Hill’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rock Hill. 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 Rock Hill total about $24.6M 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.