Home › New Hampshire › Rockingham County

Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Moderate overall risk
2nd of 10highest risk in New Hampshire
$90Mexpected losses a year
33federal declarations
1 in 45homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Rockingham County, New Hampshire has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 86% of US counties. It ranks 2nd of 10 counties in New Hampshire. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, coastal flooding and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $90 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $286 per resident. Since 1972 it has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (23 major disasters). The most recent was in July 2024 (severe winter storm and flooding). About 1 in 45 homes here carry federal flood insurance (2,047 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $31 million on 2,165 claims here, including $10 million for floods in 2024.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Rockingham County

$54 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$12.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 8 times a year.
  • Learn your evacuation zone; it is set by surge risk, not by distance from the beach.
  • Ask about flood insurance even outside a mapped high-risk zone.
$5.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 460 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingModerate89.1
$54M
Coastal floodingHigh92.8
$12M
EarthquakeLow87.5
$5M
HurricaneModerate83.8
$5M
TornadoModerate73.5
$4M
Cold waveLow57.4
$2M
Ice stormHigh91.3
$2M
Strong windModerate72.5
$2M
DroughtModerate77.1
$1M
Heat waveLow65.0
$1M
LightningModerate74.8
$911K
HailLow35.5
$226K
Winter weatherModerate65.6
$169K
WildfireVery Low47.8
$64K
LandslideLow72.0
$11K
AvalancheVery Low4.4
$3

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Rockingham County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm12
Snowstorm6
Flood5
Hurricane5
Coastal Storm3
Severe Ice Storm1

Most recent

Jul 10, 2024Severe Winter Storm and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 19, 2024Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 14, 2023Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 8, 2018Severe Storm and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 8, 2018Severe Winter Storm and SnowstormMajor disaster
Mar 25, 2015Severe Winter Storm and SnowstormMajor disaster
Mar 19, 2013Severe Winter Storm and SnowstormMajor disaster
Nov 28, 2012Hurricane SandyMajor disaster
Oct 30, 2012Hurricane SandyEmergency
Dec 5, 2011Severe Storm and SnowstormMajor disaster
Show all 33
Nov 1, 2011Severe StormEmergency
Aug 27, 2011Hurricane IreneEmergency
May 12, 2010Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 29, 2010Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Jan 2, 2009Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Dec 13, 2008Severe Winter StormEmergency
Aug 11, 2008Severe Storms, Tornado, and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 27, 2007Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
May 25, 2006Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 19, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Apr 28, 2005Record SnowEmergency
Mar 30, 2005Record And/Or Near Record SnowEmergency
Mar 11, 2003SnowEmergency
Mar 28, 2001SnowEmergency
Jul 2, 1998Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 29, 1996Fall Northeaster RainstormMajor disaster
Mar 16, 1993Blizzards, High Winds & Record SnowfallEmergency
Nov 13, 1991Coastal StormMajor disaster
Sep 9, 1991Hurricane Bob & Severe StormsMajor disaster
Apr 16, 1987Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 16, 1978High Winds, Tidal Surge & Coastal FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 11, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 18, 1972Coastal StormsMajor disaster

New Hampshire also had 1 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1951

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 546 storm reports in Rockingham County since 1951, with 5 deaths and 50 injuries and about $20.4 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on June 9, 1953.

10tornadoes
172hail reports, largest 2 inches
269damaging thunderstorm winds
33floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jun 9, 1953F3–5 / 0
Jul 24, 2008EF2Leavitts Hill2 / 1
Jul 2, 1961F2–1 / 0
Jun 19, 1957F2–1 / 0
May 21, 2006F2Hampton Falls2 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Oct 20, 1996Flash FloodCountywide$5M
Feb 25, 2010FloodNew Castle$4M
May 13, 2006FloodCountywide$4M
Mar 14, 2010FloodNew Castle$1M
Apr 16, 2007FloodEpping$1M
Jul 24, 2008TornadoLeavitts Hill$840K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 28, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1858, 5 hurricanes and 19 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Rockingham County, 9 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1869, with top winds near 105 mph about 63 miles away.

5hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
19tropical storms
1999most recent: Floyd

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 8, 1869UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph63 mi
Oct 4, 1869UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph59 mi
Aug 19, 1991BobCategory 1, 90 mph57 mi
Sep 27, 1985GloriaCategory 1, 75 mph40 mi
Sep 12, 1960DonnaCategory 1, 75 mph54 mi
Sep 15, 1944UnnamedTropical storm, 70 mph50 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 17, 1999FloydTropical storm, 55 mph61 mi
Jul 14, 1996BerthaTropical storm, 70 mph42 mi
Aug 19, 1991BobCategory 1, 90 mph57 mi
Sep 27, 1985GloriaCategory 1, 75 mph40 mi
Aug 28, 1971DoriaTropical storm, 55 mph58 mi
Sep 26, 1961EstherTropical storm, 50 mph56 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Rockingham County

Check your address flood zone ›
2.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (2,047 policies)
37.5%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$30.9 millionpaid on 2,165 flood claims since 1978
2024costliest year, with $10.2 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Rockingham County

$497,500median home value (New Hampshire $402,500, US $332,700)
1983median year homes were built (New Hampshire 1979, US 1980)
45%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4.4%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 137,794 housing units.

Compare in New Hampshire

All 10 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Hillsborough CountyModerateInland flooding
Rockingham CountyModerateInland flooding
Merrimack CountyLowInland flooding
Strafford CountyLowInland flooding
Grafton CountyModerateInland flooding
Cheshire CountyLowInland flooding
Belknap CountyLowInland flooding
Carroll CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Essex County, MAHigh36
Hillsborough CountyModerate29
York County, MEModerate38
Merrimack CountyLow27
Strafford CountyLow23

Common questions about Rockingham County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Rockingham County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Rockingham County, about $54 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Coastal flooding is second at $12.1 million.

How many federal disasters has Rockingham County had?

Rockingham County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1972, including 23 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm and Flooding in July 2024.

Is Rockingham County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 2nd highest of 10 in New Hampshire. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Rockingham County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 45 homes in Rockingham County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Rockingham County had?

NOAA records list 10 tornadoes in Rockingham County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on June 9, 1953. The weather service has also logged 172 hail reports and 33 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Rockingham County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 5 hurricanes and 19 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Rockingham County. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1869, with winds near 105 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.