Belknap County, New Hampshire
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 33001 · population 63,653 · 402 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 584 records for Belknap County, New Hampshire from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 437 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (197 records). 297 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. The deadliest single record is the August 7, 2008 flash flood: 1 death, 2 injuries and $959,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1973, 28 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Flooding” on July 10, 2024.
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
- 584on 437 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 355 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $33Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 2024
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 Belknap County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 197 since 1996. 51% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among New Hampshire'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 197 | 196 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7.3M | 2 of 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 154 | 89 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 0 | $185K | 2 of 10 |
| Hail | 64 | 40 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 10 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 47 | 1996-2017 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 2 of 10 |
| Floods | 41 | 29 | 1996-2023 | 1 | 2 | $8.6M | 5 of 10 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 23 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 10 |
| Lightning | 20 | 20 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 45 | $899K | 3 of 10 |
| Drought | 19 | 19 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 2 of 10 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 12 | 1960-2020 | 0 | 7 | $2.8M | 1 of 10 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 10 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 1996-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 10 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2011-2020 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 of 10 |
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 Belknap County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Belknap County from 1960 to 2020, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 10 New Hampshire counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Belknap County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Belknap County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-24 09:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF2 | 50.46 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Hampshire.
Every tornado record filed for Belknap County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-22 | West Alton, Belknap County | EF0 1.54 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-07-24 | Center Harbor, Belknap County | EF0 0.02 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-07-04 | Gilford, Belknap County | EF0 0.36 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-25 | West Alton, Belknap County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-07-24 | South Barnstead, Belknap County | EF2 11.92 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $769K |
| 2004-08-13 | Sanbornton, Belknap County | F0 7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-06 | Barnstead, Belknap County | F2 4.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-23 | Meredith, Belknap County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-07-23 | Belknap County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-07-03 | Belknap County | F2 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 7 | $25K step |
| 1972-05-31 | Belknap County | F1 1 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1960-06-24 | Belknap County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Belknap County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 20, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAlton, Belknap County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWest Alton, Belknap County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWest Center Harbor, Belknap County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWinnisquam, Belknap County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindSanbornton, Belknap County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindNew Hampton, Belknap County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-08-07 | Flash FloodWest Center Harbor, Belknap County Heavy rain caused flash flooding in Ashland resulting in the death of a young girl and injuring her mother and brother as they tried to drive out of the flood waters in a local campground. Many roads were flooded or washed out in other areas of town. | 1 | 2 | $959K | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap Hurricane Irene made landfall across western Long Island, NY and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm as it moved into and through New England. The center of Irene was located just to the southwest of New Hampshire at 5 pm Sunday evening August 28 and then travelled up the Connecticut River Valley to the northern border ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1999-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindSanbornton, Belknap County Severe thunderstorm winds caused damage statewide as downed trees blocked roads and caused power outages. The winds also damaged several buildings. In Sanbornton, a 60 foot pine tree fell on a car killing the driver. An F2 tornado touched down in Pittsfield, moved through Barnstead, and then into Strafford before ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-06-24 | LightningWest Alton, Belknap County A lightning strike injured 29 scouts and 1 leader at Camp Bell Boy Scout Camp on Griswold Scout Reservation near Gilmanton. All the Scouts were transported to a local hospital and were treated for burns, ranging from minor to serious. Several of the scouts were retained overnight for observation and treatment. The ... | 0 | 30 | – | |
| 1972-07-03 | TornadoBelknap County | F2 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 7 | $25K step |
| 2003-08-13 | LightningBelmont, Belknap County Lightning struck a utility pole in the parking lot of a greyhound race track in Belmont. The lightning followed power and phone lines into the building and shocked four employees that were working with telephones and computers, or touching the metal door of the kennels. In addition, some patrons of the race track that ... | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2012-07-04 | LightningWeirs Beach, Belknap County Two men and a woman were injured by a nearby lightning strike in Laconia and taken to the hospital. They had been barbequing in the back yard of a home. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2006-10-20 | LightningLaconia, Belknap County Late-season lightning strikes caused problems in the town of Meredith on the 20th. In one incident, lightning injured three people at a home in Meredith. They were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. In a separate incident, lightning blew apart the wall of a home in the town. | 0 | 3 | $29K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-01-07 | Ice StormBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | $6.8M | |
| 2008-08-07 | Flash FloodLakeport, Belknap County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2005-10-08 | FloodBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2007-04-16 | High WindBelknap County · forecast zone Belknap | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $975K |
| 2008-08-07 | Flash FloodWest Center Harbor, Belknap County | 1 | 2 | $959K | |
| 2008-07-24 | TornadoSouth Barnstead, Belknap County | EF2 11.92 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $769K |
| 1999-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, Belknap County | 0 | 0 | $765K | |
| 2008-08-07 | Flash FloodMeredith Center, Belknap County | 0 | 0 | $685K |
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: May 31, 1972 (tornado, Belknap 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 Belknap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 34 | 87 | 45 | 31 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 35 | 59 | 27 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 31 | 14 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 18 | 5 | 11 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 72 · Feb 58 · Mar 44 · Apr 19 · May 24 · Jun 71 · Jul 126 · Aug 58 · Sep 16 · Oct 21 · Nov 19 · Dec 56 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Belknap County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Belknap County: 21 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and hurricane (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-10 | DR-4799 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2023-09-14 | DR-4740 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2023-03-15 | DR-4693 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4516 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3445 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-01-02 | DR-4355 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2017-06-01 | DR-4316 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2013-03-19 | DR-4105 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-11-28 | DR-4095 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-30 | EM-3360 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-11-01 | EM-3344 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4026 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 2011-08-27 | EM-3333 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2009-01-02 | DR-1812 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-12-13 | EM-3297 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-09-05 | DR-1787 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-08-11 | DR-1782 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornado, and Flooding |
| 2007-04-27 | DR-1695 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-05-25 | DR-1643 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-10-26 | DR-1610 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-19 | EM-3258 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-03-30 | EM-3207 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3193 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-10-18 | DR-1305 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Floyd |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1231 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-01-15 | DR-1199 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storm, Rains and High Winds |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3101 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, High Winds & Record Snowfall |
| 1990-08-29 | DR-876 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-01-21 | DR-411 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1973-07-11 | DR-399 | 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 Belknap County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 41 flood or flash flood records for Belknap County from 1996 to 2023, on 29 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Belknap County ranks 1272nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $924,000 on 108 claims filed in Belknap County; the most in one year was 18 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 12 · 1988: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 2 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 10 · 1998: 11 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 18 · 2006: 8 · 2007: 8 · 2008: 6 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 2; the other years: 0.
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 Belknap County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Belknap County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $23.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.2M | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $668K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $208K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.9M | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $8K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $16M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $550K | once in about 613 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $315K | 2.5 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 Belknap 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 New HampshireEvery New Hampshire tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in New HampshireThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The New Hampshire recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Belknap CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Belknap County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis