Photo: Vasiliymeshko · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Rock Springs’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Rock Springs gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #5 of 28 in Wyoming. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1981.
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 Rock Springs 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
Earthquakes
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 Rock Springs’ grade
River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in Rock Springs, and Rock Springs’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 6% (higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #5 of 28 in Wyoming; lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Rock Springs’ residents live in 9 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Wyoming town has lower expected damage than 55% of U.S. towns; within the state, Rock Springs has less expected damage per building than 85% of Wyoming towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $5.6M a year in losses across Rock Springs: $4.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Rock Springs flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Rock Springs, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Rock Springs isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Sweetwater County.The storms Rock Springs remembers
None of the 2 disasters declared for Sweetwater County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Rock Springs itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19892 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20152 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19811 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Sweetwater County has had 2 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms.
Old photos of Rock Springs after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Rock Springs archive →Rock Springs and its neighbors
Rock Springs is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Rock Springs | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Rock Springs | A−less damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Clearview Acres | — | 273 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Rock Springs 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Rock Springs
Is Rock Springs at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Rock Springs has lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #5 of 28 in Wyoming. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%) and earthquakes (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Rock Springs flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Rock Springs since 1981, $894K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Rock Springs 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 Sweetwater County, 0.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Rock Springs?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Rock Springs’ flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Rock Springs at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and Rock Springs’ rate for it is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Rock Springs.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Rock Springs’ 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.