Cheshire County, New Hampshire

What hazards hit Cheshire County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 366 since 1963. 48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in July and August. 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.

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 Cheshire County had?

NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Cheshire County from 1959 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 2nd 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 18 tornadoes whose track touched Cheshire County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Hampshire.

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 Cheshire County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2024 tornado.

NWS storm survey confirmed an EF1 Tornado with a maximum wind speed of 90 mph occurred in Dublin, NH. The National Weather Service survey team identified dozens of snapped white pine trees with uprooted maples and oaks also noted. While no significant structural damage was observed, some shingle damage to a roof was observed as well as a truck being briefly lifted and moved along the ground.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1178544)

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

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 Cheshire 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).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Cheshire County

FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Cheshire County: 19 major disasters, 13 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (8).

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 Cheshire County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 72 flood or flash flood records for Cheshire County from 1996 to 2024, on 37 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cheshire County ranks 832nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.7 million on 247 claims filed in Cheshire County; the most in one year was 80 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

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 Cheshire County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cheshire County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $27.3 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.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Cheshire County

1. Worcester County, MA 1,925
2. Franklin County, MA 1,164
3. Windham County, VT 1,080
4. Hillsborough County 864
5. Cheshire County 779
6. Sullivan County 555

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
• Severe thunderstorm wind in New HampshireThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Cheshire CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
• Download Cheshire County's FEMA declarations (CSV)33 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis