How Likely Is a Tornado in Plymouth County, MA?
Plymouth County's tornado history, by the numbers
Plymouth County has recorded 11 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 6.9 years - our Low band. Put another way: Plymouth County sees more tornado activity than 33% of US counties. Among 14 Massachusetts counties in this dataset, Plymouth County ranks 9 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
10 weak and 1 significant tornadoes make up Plymouth County's 11-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Plymouth County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Massachusetts has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Massachusetts this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
542,090 people live in Plymouth County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Massachusetts than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Plymouth County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 659 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Plymouth County has about 542,090 residents.