Rockingham County, New Hampshire
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 33015 · population 314,137 · 695 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,150 records for Rockingham County, New Hampshire from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 551 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (313 records). 606 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 18, 1991 thunderstorm wind: 3 deaths and 11 injuries. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1972, 33 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
- 1,150on 551 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 868 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $127Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 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 Rockingham County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 313 since 1996. 52% 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 | 313 | 176 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 14 | $2.7M | 4 of 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 264 | 130 | 1958-2026 | 4 | 24 | $116K | 4 of 10 |
| Hail | 170 | 65 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 10 |
| High wind and dust storms | 111 | 59 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 3 | $12M | 3 of 10 |
| Floods | 109 | 89 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $91M | 1 of 10 |
| Lightning | 56 | 39 | 1996-2010 | 0 | 15 | $3.4M | 2 of 10 |
| Drought | 45 | 23 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 4 of 10 |
| Extreme cold | 41 | 20 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 10 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 13 | 11 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 1 of 10 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 10 | 1951-2008 | 1 | 11 | $4.7M | 5 of 10 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 3 | 1999-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 10 |
| Heat | 6 | 3 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 10 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 3 | 2010-2025 | 3 | 1 | $27K | 1 of 10 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 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 Rockingham County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Rockingham County from 1951 to 2008, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 11 injuries recorded in the county. That is 5th 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Rockingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-24 09:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF2 | 50.46 mi | 1 |
| 1953-06-09 15:20, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 1.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Hampshire.
Every tornado record filed for Rockingham County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-24 | Leavitts Hill, Rockingham County | EF2 4.86 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 2 | $1.2M |
| 2006-05-21 | Hampton Falls, Rockingham County | F2 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 2 | $4K |
| 1978-06-09 | Rockingham County | F0 0.2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1970-10-03 | Rockingham County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-07-26 | Rockingham County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-07-02 | Rockingham County | F2 5.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1957-06-19 | Rockingham County | F2 0.2 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1954-07-31 | Rockingham County | F1 3.8 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-06-09 | Rockingham County | F3 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K step |
| 1951-08-21 | Rockingham County | F2 4.9 mi x 67 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 Rockingham County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 24, 2025 rip current (1 death and 1 injury).
High surf and rip currents impacted the New Hampshire Seacoast all weekend long as Hurricane Erin passed well off to the east with multiple rescues being recorded. A farther and son were caught in a rip current on the evening of August 24th at Hampton Beach. There were no lifeguards on duty at the time. Emergency personal were able to rescue them from the water, but were not able to resuscitate the son.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1277264)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindTowles Corner, Rockingham County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindAustin Corners, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | HailSeverance, Rockingham County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAuburn, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWindham Depot, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindDerry, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindPortsmouth, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Interior Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Interior Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Interior Rockingham | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-08-18 | Thunderstorm WindRockingham County | 3 | 11 | – | |
| 2018-08-19 | Rip CurrentRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham A man and woman from Massachusetts died and 6 others had to be rescued when a strong rip current developed along the beach in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Both victims were administered CPR at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital. The 49-year-old man was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. His ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-07-24 | TornadoLeavitts Hill, Rockingham County An E-F2 tornado touched down about 5 miles southwest of Northwood Narrows and moved north northeast for a little over 5 miles before crossing into Merrimack County. Numerous trees were downed and many homes were damaged or destroyed. A woman was killed when the house she was in collapsed. | EF2 4.86 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 2 | $1.2M |
| 2025-08-24 | Rip CurrentRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham High surf and rip currents impacted the New Hampshire Seacoast all weekend long as Hurricane Erin passed well off to the east with multiple rescues being recorded. A farther and son were caught in a rip current on the evening of August 24th at Hampton Beach. There were no lifeguards on duty at the time. Emergency ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2000-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindWindham, Rockingham County A 39-year old woman was killed when the strong winds which preceded a thunderstorm caused a 57 ft section of a tree to break off from the base and fall on her at the Windham Town Beach at Cobbetts Pond. The woman was on an outing to the beach with two young children at the time of the incident. Reportedly, there were ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-03-12 | Winter WeatherRockingham County · forecast zone Interior Rockingham A blinding snow squall caused several multi-vehicle accidents (involving a total of about 40 vehicles) on Interstate 93 near the Windham/Derry line. The accidents occurred about 12:30 pm when the squall hit, reducing visabilities to near zero and causing the roadway to become extremely slippery. Area hospitals treated ... | 0 | 14 | – | |
| 2004-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindHampton Falls, Rockingham County Strong thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous trees down in a campground in Hampton Falls, on the evening ofAugust 20. Several campers where damaged or destroyed, and 10 people sustained injuries. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 10 | – |
| 1953-06-09 | TornadoRockingham County | F3 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-13 | Coastal FloodRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $28M | |
| 2024-01-10 | Coastal FloodRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2006-10-29 | Strong WindRockingham County · forecast zone Interior Rockingham | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12M |
| 2020-11-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2022-12-23 | Coastal FloodRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 1996-10-20 | Flash FloodCountywide, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $9.0M | |
| 2007-04-16 | Coastal FloodRockingham County · forecast zone Coastal Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $7.1M | |
| 2006-05-13 | FloodCountywide, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $5.9M |
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 2, 1961 (tornado, Rockingham 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 Rockingham 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 | – | – | – | – | 49 | 138 | 92 | 34 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 25 | 61 | 86 | 64 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 88 | 45 | 24 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 34 | 58 | 17 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 30 | 54 | 18 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 16 | 37 | 3 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% 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 144 · Feb 106 · Mar 109 · Apr 42 · May 42 · Jun 155 · Jul 216 · Aug 120 · Sep 41 · Oct 49 · Nov 35 · Dec 91 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rockingham County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Rockingham County: 24 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and snowstorm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-10 | DR-4799 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2024-04-19 | DR-4771 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2023-09-14 | DR-4740 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4516 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3445 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-06-08 | DR-4370 | Coastal Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2018-06-08 | DR-4371 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2015-03-25 | DR-4209 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2011-12-05 | DR-4049 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2011-11-01 | EM-3344 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-08-27 | EM-3333 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-05-12 | DR-1913 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-03-29 | DR-1892 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-01-02 | DR-1812 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-12-13 | EM-3297 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-19 | EM-3258 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-04-28 | EM-3211 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2005-03-30 | EM-3207 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2003-03-11 | EM-3177 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2001-03-28 | EM-3166 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1231 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-10-29 | DR-1144 | Flood | Fall Northeaster Rainstorm |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3101 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, High Winds & Record Snowfall |
| 1991-11-13 | DR-923 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storm |
| 1991-09-09 | DR-917 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob & Severe Storms |
| 1987-04-16 | DR-789 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-02-16 | DR-549 | Flood | High Winds, Tidal Surge & Coastal Flooding |
| 1973-07-11 | DR-399 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-03-18 | DR-327 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms |
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 Rockingham County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 109 flood or flash flood records for Rockingham County from 1996 to 2024, on 89 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Rockingham County ranks 176th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $30.9 million on 2,165 claims filed in Rockingham County; the most in one year was 265 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 171 · 1979: 68 · 1980: 9 · 1981: 11 · 1982: 8 · 1983: 16 · 1984: 5 · 1986: 5 · 1987: 90 · 1988: 2 · 1990: 16 · 1991: 257 · 1992: 21 · 1993: 23 · 1994: 8 · 1996: 206 · 1997: 11 · 1998: 29 · 1999: 4 · 2001: 26 · 2002: 8 · 2003: 11 · 2004: 23 · 2005: 14 · 2006: 265 · 2007: 201 · 2008: 14 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 115 · 2011: 4 · 2012: 9 · 2013: 15 · 2014: 8 · 2015: 7 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 98 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2022: 91 · 2023: 20 · 2024: 252; 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 Rockingham County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rockingham County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $89.8 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 | Relatively High | $12M | 8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.6M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $54M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $5.0M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 5.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $911K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.4M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Rockingham 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 Rockingham CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rockingham County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis