On FEMA’s figures, East Rockingham faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Rockingham gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns, #156 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%), then hurricanes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What East Rockingham faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind East Rockingham’s grade
River and rain flooding is 63% of the building damage FEMA expects in East Rockingham, and East Rockingham’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 50% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 2%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #156 of 290 in North Carolina; higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
East Rockingham’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical North Carolina town has lower expected damage than 51% of U.S. towns; within the state, East Rockingham has more expected damage per building than 54% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across East Rockingham: $676K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does East Rockingham flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in East Rockingham, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irene1 claim · $6K
East 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.The storms East Rockingham remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Richmond County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching East Rockingham itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20111 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Richmond County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of East Rockingham after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the East Rockingham archive →East Rockingham and its neighbors
East Rockingham has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Rockingham | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Rockingham | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what East Rockingham faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in East Rockingham
Is East Rockingham at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Rockingham has higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #156 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%) and hurricanes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does East Rockingham flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in East Rockingham since 2011, $6K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (1).
Is East Rockingham in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Richmond County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in East Rockingham?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for East Rockingham’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in East Rockingham?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 1 paid, $6K.
Is East Rockingham at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (63%), and East Rockingham’s rate for it is higher than 50% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in East Rockingham.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where East Rockingham’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.