FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Massachusetts · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400), MA
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 90
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) ranks in the riskiest 10% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 22% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Moderate, based on 2 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2022, most often hurricane, 48% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 10%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 2
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 1
- hurricane declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County compare?
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
2 22nd percentile higher than 22% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Massachusetts county average
How disaster-prone is Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County?
Declaration frequency
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County, Massachusetts has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2023, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 22% above the Massachusetts county average of 1.6 and 48% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 90.4/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $114.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Coastal Flooding stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Massachusetts Avg
+22%
State avg: 1.6
vs. National Avg
-48%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
2.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
25023
MA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 1
Snowstorm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3599 | HURRICANE LEE | EM | Hurricane | 2023-09-15 |
| 4651 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2022-04-18 |
Storm Events in Massachusetts
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2,414 | 3 | 7 | $13.9M |
| Strong Wind | 1,135 | 4 | 8 | $3.4M |
| High Wind | 774 | 3 | 10 | $10.9M |
| Flood | 584 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M |
| Heavy Snow | 442 | 4 | 1 | $731.9K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 90.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$114.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Coastal Flooding Very High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively High
Drought Relatively Moderate
Landslide Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Massachusetts
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County, Massachusetts had?
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County, Massachusetts has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2023. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County?
The most common disaster type in Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County is Hurricane, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (1).
How does Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County's disaster risk compare to the Massachusetts average?
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 22% higher than the Massachusetts county average of 1.6 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 48% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County received?
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Massachusetts?
The most common storm types in Massachusetts include Thunderstorm Wind (2,414 events), Strong Wind (1,135 events), High Wind (774 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County was 2022, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County?
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County, Massachusetts has an overall risk score of 90.4 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $114.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400) County is Coastal Flooding (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively High) and Hurricane (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400)
Plymouth(in (P)MSA 1120,1200,5400), MA runs 22% above the Massachusetts county average for federal disaster declarations (2 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (1 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Massachusetts overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.