Plymouth County, Massachusetts
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 25023 · population 530,320 · 659 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,633 records for Plymouth County, Massachusetts from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 678 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (702 records). 1,191 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. NOAA records 158 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 0 deaths; its 10,959 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 49th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Hurricane Sandy (2012). The deadliest single record is the April 3, 2016 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Western Plymouth, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $18,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 32 declarations naming the county since 1972, 29 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Lee” on September 15, 2023.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,633on 678 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 793 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $104Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 32latest 2023
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Plymouth County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 702 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Massachusetts's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 702 | 280 | 1996-2025 | 4 | 4 | $9.5M | 4 of 12 |
| Winter storms | 312 | 118 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $19M | 10 of 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 197 | 116 | 1961-2025 | 1 | 62 | $9.1M | 9 of 12 |
| Floods | 158 | 121 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 3 | $55M | 5 of 12 |
| Hail | 82 | 45 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $70K | 12 of 12 |
| Heavy rain | 50 | 35 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 12 |
| Lightning | 45 | 40 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 22 | $2.1M | 6 of 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 26 | 14 | 2002-2021 | 0 | 0 | $6.1M | 5 of 12 |
| Drought | 23 | 8 | 2012-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 12 |
| Heat | 22 | 21 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 12 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 9 | 1958-2023 | 1 | 2 | $3.2M | 11 of 12 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 12 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2015-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Plymouth County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Plymouth County from 1958 to 2023, the strongest rated F2, with 1 death and 2 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 11 tornadoes whose track touched Plymouth County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-09-07 16:00, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F0 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Massachusetts.
Every tornado record filed for Plymouth County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-08 | Shell Beach, Plymouth County | EF1 0.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2012-07-24 | White Horse Beach, Plymouth County | EF0 0.03 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1997-08-20 | Plymouth County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-07-10 | Plymouth County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-07-10 | Plymouth County | F1 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1986-09-16 | Plymouth County | F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-11-18 | Plymouth County | F2 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1965-06-09 | Plymouth County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1964-07-04 | Plymouth County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1958-09-07 | Plymouth County | F0 | 1 | 1 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Plymouth County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 19, 2025 high wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormPlymouth County · forecast zone Southern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormPlymouth County · forecast zone Western Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | BlizzardNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowPlymouth County · forecast zone Western Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindPlymouth County · forecast zone Southern Plymouth | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-12-19 | Strong WindPlymouth County · forecast zone Western Plymouth | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-08-14 | Thunderstorm WindNorthville, Plymouth County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-08-14 | HailRockland, Plymouth County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindBisbee Corner, Plymouth County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300 |
| 2025-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindMiddleboro, Plymouth County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-03 | Strong WindPlymouth County · forecast zone Western Plymouth A 49 year old man and a 51 year old woman were killed when strong winds combined with snow resulted in a severely rotted tree being blown over onto their car. Winds from stations in the area were generally gusting up to about 50 mph, with sustained winds speeds in the 30 to 40 mph range. This occurred on Rockland ... | 43 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $18K |
| 1958-09-07 | TornadoPlymouth County | F0 | 1 | 1 | $3K step |
| 2023-12-18 | Strong WindPlymouth County · forecast zone Western Plymouth Winds generally gusted 40 to 50 mph. In Hanover at 9:47 AM EST a man was killed when a tree fell on a small travel trailer on the 90 block of Industrial Way. The strongest recorded gust was 50 mph in Hanson. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2018-03-02 | High WindPlymouth County · forecast zone Western Plymouth At 6:13 AM EST a tree was down in Rockland across Salem Street near Union Street. At 8:35 AM EST a tree was down on Lake Street in Plympton. At 8:56 PM EST multiple trees and wires were reported down around East Bridgewater with some trees on top of houses. At 3:30 PM EST a tree fell on a car in a driveway on Cedar ... | 54 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $53K |
| 2010-09-08 | LightningPlymouth County A 29 year old man was struck by lightning and killed while standing under a tree on Burial Hill in Plymouth. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindHull, Plymouth County Peddocks Island | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-05-21 | Thunderstorm WindBrockton, Plymouth County | 0 | 60 | $7.5M | |
| 2005-06-26 | LightningRockland, Plymouth County Scattered thunderstorms, with embedded severe thunderstorms, produced lightning and severe wind gusts that damaged property and brought down trees and power lines across Massachusetts. The hardest hit were Franklin, Hampshire, Worcester, Essex, and Plymouth counties. Various lightning strikes downed power lines and ... | 0 | 15 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-03-14 | FloodHanover, Plymouth County | 0 | 0 | $22M | |
| 2013-02-09 | Coastal FloodPlymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2010-03-29 | FloodStanley, Plymouth County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1996-05-21 | Thunderstorm WindBrockton, Plymouth County | 0 | 60 | $7.5M | |
| 1996-01-07 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Norfolk | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 1996-01-07 | Heavy SnowPlymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2010-12-27 | Coastal FloodPlymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 1996-01-07 | Heavy SnowPlymouth County · forecast zone Southern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 4, 1964 (tornado, Plymouth County); September 16, 1986 (tornado, Plymouth County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Plymouth County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 213 | 166 | 222 | 101 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 72 | 103 | 117 | 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 48 | 57 | 60 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 43 | 78 | 30 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 34 | 15 | 17 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 41 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Plymouth County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 213 · Feb 189 · Mar 181 · Apr 101 · May 68 · Jun 88 · Jul 150 · Aug 113 · Sep 65 · Oct 173 · Nov 97 · Dec 195 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Plymouth County
FEMA's register lists 32 declarations that include Plymouth County: 21 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-15 | EM-3599 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2022-04-18 | DR-4651 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4496 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3438 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-06-25 | DR-4372 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2015-04-13 | DR-4214 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2013-04-19 | DR-4110 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2012-12-19 | DR-4097 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3350 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4028 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3330 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-09-02 | EM-3315 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl |
| 2010-03-29 | DR-1895 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-05-16 | DR-1701 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding |
| 2005-11-10 | DR-1614 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3252 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3201 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3191 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-03-11 | EM-3175 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2001-04-10 | DR-1364 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-06-23 | DR-1224 | Flood | Heavy Rains and Flooding |
| 1996-10-25 | DR-1142 | Flood | Extreme Weather Conditons and Flooding |
| 1996-10-23 | EM-3119 | Flood | Extreme Weather Conditions and Flooding |
| 1996-01-24 | DR-1090 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3103 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, High Winds & Record Snowfall |
| 1992-12-21 | DR-975 | Coastal Storm | Winter Coastal Storm |
| 1991-11-04 | DR-920 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storm |
| 1991-08-26 | DR-914 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob |
| 1985-10-28 | DR-751 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria |
| 1978-02-10 | DR-546 | Flood | Coastal Storms, Flood, Ice & Snow |
| 1972-09-28 | DR-357 | Fishing Losses | Toxic Algae in Coastal Waters |
| 1972-03-06 | DR-325 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Plymouth County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 158 flood or flash flood records for Plymouth County from 1996 to 2025, on 121 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Plymouth County ranks 49th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy | 2012-10-29 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 3 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $153 million on 10,959 claims filed in Plymouth County; the most in one year was 3,227 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 976 · 1979: 419 · 1980: 18 · 1981: 36 · 1982: 152 · 1983: 115 · 1984: 138 · 1985: 19 · 1986: 25 · 1987: 683 · 1988: 7 · 1989: 15 · 1990: 14 · 1991: 3,227 · 1992: 1,115 · 1993: 53 · 1994: 30 · 1995: 8 · 1996: 115 · 1997: 98 · 1998: 59 · 1999: 10 · 2000: 22 · 2001: 335 · 2002: 18 · 2003: 255 · 2004: 13 · 2005: 298 · 2006: 133 · 2007: 146 · 2008: 11 · 2009: 10 · 2010: 595 · 2011: 20 · 2012: 47 · 2013: 532 · 2014: 47 · 2015: 270 · 2016: 17 · 2017: 14 · 2018: 731 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 39 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 31 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 3.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Plymouth County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Plymouth County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $114 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | $14M | 7.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.6M | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $690K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $71M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $11M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | 5.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $690K | 3.1 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Plymouth County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MassachusettsEvery Massachusetts tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- High wind and dust storms in MassachusettsThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Massachusetts recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Plymouth CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Plymouth County's FEMA declarations (CSV)32 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis