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Rockland County, New York
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 476 storm events in Rockland County, New York, led by damaging wind.
That is 274.1 events per 100 square miles, above the New York figure of 120.3, and 14.0 per 10,000 residents against 28.6 statewide.
20 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 6 deaths and 13 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $8.4M.
FEMA has designated the county in 30 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms And Flooding (major disaster, 22 Jul 2023).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 3,480 claims since 1978, of which 2,654 were paid, totalling $45M (about $17K per paid claim). FEMA counts 990 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($60M a year across 18 hazards).
46 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 1 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with New York and the United States
| Measure | Rockland County | New York | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 476 | 56,675 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 274.1 | 120.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 14.0 | 28.6 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 20 | 1,948 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 6 | 578 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $8.4M | $5.7B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 10.3 | 8.8 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $17K | $40K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 18.6 | 10.1 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 275 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 193 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2011 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | — | — | 2 | — | Forecast zone |
| 29 Oct 2012 | High Wind | Wind | 64 mph | — | — | 1 | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $4.4M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 15 May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $5K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 7 Mar 2018 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Jan 1997 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 3 Jul 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $5K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 18 Oct 1990 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Dec 2000 | Dense Fog | Fog | — | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 23 Jun 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 23 Jun 2001 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 May 2003 | Strong Wind | Wind | 35 mph | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 9 Aug 2011 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Apr 2013 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 19 Dec 2025 | High Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $3.1M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2020 | High Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $200K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Jan 2010 | High Wind | Wind | 62 mph | $100K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2023 | DR-4723 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2021 | DR-4615 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Sep 2021 | EM-3572 | Emergency | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2021 | EM-3565 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Henri | Public assistance |
| 2 Oct 2020 | DR-4567 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias | Public assistance |
| 20 Mar 2020 | DR-4480 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3434 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 30 Oct 2012 | DR-4085 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Oct 2012 | EM-3351 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 31 Aug 2011 | DR-4020 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Aug 2011 | EM-3328 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 18 Feb 2011 | DR-1957 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 16 Apr 2010 | DR-1899 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 24 Apr 2007 | DR-1692 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Inland And Coastal Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 30 Sep 2005 | EM-3262 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 3 Aug 2004 | DR-1534 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | — |
| 23 Aug 2003 | EM-3186 | Emergency | Other | Power Outage | Public assistance |
| 27 Mar 2003 | EM-3184 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 11 Sep 2001 | DR-1391 | Major disaster | Fire | Fires And Explosions | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Oct 2000 | EM-3155 | Emergency | Other | West Nile Virus | Public assistance |
| 19 Sep 1999 | DR-1296 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Sep 1999 | EM-3149 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations | Public assistance |
| 12 Jan 1996 | DR-1083 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Blizzard Of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | Public assistance |
| 17 Mar 1993 | EM-3107 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard | Public assistance |
| 21 Dec 1992 | DR-974 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 17 Apr 1984 | DR-702 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Oct 1975 | DR-487 | Major disaster | Flood | Storms, Rains, Landslides & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 23 Jun 1972 | DR-338 | Major disaster | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Sep 1971 | DR-311 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 18 Aug 1965 | DR-204 | Major disaster | Drought | Water Shortage | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 1 | $31,617 | $31,617 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | $49,718 | $24,859 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | $304,252 | $60,850 |
| 2023 | 28 | 23 | $1,112,726 | $48,379 |
| 2022 | 19 | 14 | $253,746 | $18,125 |
| 2021 | 106 | 93 | $4,861,563 | $52,275 |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | $15,103 | $15,103 |
| 2018 | 11 | 6 | $68,586 | $11,431 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2014 | 8 | 4 | $65,291 | $16,323 |
| 2013 | 4 | 1 | $4,799 | $4,799 |
| 2012 | 129 | 111 | $10,246,611 | $92,312 |
| 2011 | 502 | 443 | $15,709,559 | $35,462 |
| 2010 | 56 | 40 | $676,743 | $16,919 |
| 2009 | 5 | 3 | $41,252 | $13,751 |
| 2008 | 11 | 7 | $129,090 | $18,441 |
| 2007 | 119 | 104 | $2,319,535 | $22,303 |
| 2006 | 6 | 4 | $12,089 | $3,022 |
| 2005 | 47 | 35 | $666,699 | $19,049 |
| 2004 | 44 | 32 | $562,255 | $17,570 |
| 2003 | 19 | 15 | $80,756 | $5,384 |
| 2002 | 11 | 7 | $109,870 | $15,696 |
| 2001 | 26 | 15 | $158,471 | $10,565 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $38,004,399 | |
| Cold wave | $4,481,540 | |
| Earthquake | $3,508,672 | |
| Hurricane | $3,405,255 | |
| Strong wind | $3,163,513 | |
| Tornado | $2,820,061 | |
| Heat wave | $2,555,852 | |
| Lightning | $1,087,644 | |
| Coastal flooding | $596,767 | |
| Winter weather | $536,509 | |
| Ice storm | $285,875 | |
| Hail | $41,243 | |
| Drought | $4,969 | |
| Wildfire | $4,024 | |
| Landslide | $2,415 | |
| Avalanche | $138 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsa | 2021 | 76 mi | 58 mph |
| Ida | 2021 | 75 mi | 46 mph |
| Fay | 2020 | 68 mi | 40 mph |
| Isaias | 2020 | 59 mi | 63 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 90 mi | 46 mph |
| Irene | 2011 | 38 mi | 63 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 84 mi | 52 mph |
| Floyd | 1999 | 47 mi | 58 mph |
| Bertha | 1996 | 71 mi | 69 mph |
| Gloria | 1985 | 54 mi | 86 mph |
| Henri | 1985 | 80 mi | 40 mph |
| Belle | 1976 | 44 mi | 69 mph |
| Agnes | 1972 | 45 mi | 63 mph |
| Doria | 1971 | 17 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1968 | 54 mi | 63 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1961 | 53 mi | 63 mph |
| Brenda | 1960 | 47 mi | 58 mph |
| Donna | 1960 | 67 mi | 98 mph |
| Diane | 1955 | 52 mi | 46 mph |
| Carol | 1954 | 97 mi | 115 mph |
| Able | 1952 | 56 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1944 | 97 mi | 104 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1938 | 59 mi | 121 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1934 | 53 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1934 | 53 mi | 75 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 10901 551
- 10956 522
- 10977 483
- 10994 358
- 10952 249
- 10954 159
- 10960 155
- 10968 140
- 10989 110
- 10965 108
- 10983 98
- 10980 95
- 10962 80
- 10974 58
- 10923 53
- 10970 39
- 10920 38
- 10913 33
- 10976 31
- 10964 29
- 10931 14
- 10984 12
- 10993 10
- 10982 8
- 10927 6
- 10986 5
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Rockland County, NY?
NCEI records 37 hail events in Rockland County since 1950, in 18 different years; that is about 0.5 recorded events a year. 3 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Rockland County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 3 tornadoes in Rockland County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Rockland County?
22 Jul 2023: Severe Storms And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for severe storm. The county appears in 30 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Rockland County, and how much was paid?
3,480 NFIP claims since 1978, 2,654 of them paid, for $45M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Rockland County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Rockland County compare with the rest of New York?
274.1 recorded events per 100 square miles against 120.3 statewide, and 10.3 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 8.8. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.