Sullivan County, New Hampshire
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 33019 · population 43,048 · 538 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 555 records for Sullivan County, New Hampshire from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 414 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (183 records). 281 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 October 8, 2005 flood, filed for the forecast zone Sullivan, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $4.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 33 declarations naming the county since 1973, 31 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
- 555on 414 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 44 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 33latest 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 Sullivan County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 183 since 1996. 46% 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 | 183 | 183 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $5.2M | 3 of 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 158 | 88 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 0 | $17K | 6 of 10 |
| Floods | 58 | 38 | 1996-2023 | 2 | 0 | $16M | 6 of 10 |
| Hail | 52 | 34 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 10 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 44 | 1996-2022 | 1 | 0 | $309K | 4 of 10 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 21 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 10 |
| Drought | 19 | 19 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $684K | 3 of 10 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 6 | 1955-2022 | 0 | 0 | $968K | 6 of 10 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 2002-2007 | 0 | 3 | $226K | 8 of 10 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 2020-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 10 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 10 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 10 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 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 Sullivan County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Sullivan County from 1955 to 2022, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Sullivan County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Hampshire.
Every tornado record filed for Sullivan County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-16 | North Charlestown, Sullivan County | EF1 4.8 mi x 330 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2018-05-04 | South Charlestown, Sullivan County | EF0 20.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-13 | East Plainfield, Sullivan County | F1 7 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $177K |
| 1963-07-18 | Sullivan County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-07-09 | Sullivan County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-07-09 | Sullivan County | F0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-10-24 | Sullivan County | F0 14.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $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.
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 Sullivan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 30, 2022 strong wind (1 death and $15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
State police reported that a tree fell on a vehicle while traveling on State Rte. 11 in Sunapee New Hampshire. The collision caused a single fatality of the vehicle driver.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1058775)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindSunapee, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Cornish, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | HailGuild, Sullivan County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | HailCroydon, Sullivan County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | HailCornish Mills, Sullivan County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindClaremont, Sullivan County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWest Claremont, Sullivan County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWendell, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindQuaker City, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindGrantham, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-10-08 | FloodSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan The interaction between a cold frontal boundary and the remnants of Tropical Storm Tammy resulted in tremendous amount of rainfall throughout most of central and southern New Hampshire. Rainfall ranged from just under 2 inches in far northern New Hampshire to 9 inches at Gilford in Belknap County. An unofficial report ... | 2 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 2022-11-30 | Strong WindSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan State police reported that a tree fell on a vehicle while traveling on State Rte. 11 in Sunapee New Hampshire. The collision caused a single fatality of the vehicle driver. | 48 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| 2015-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindPuckershire, Sullivan County A severe thunderstorm downed trees on Sugar River Drive and Chestnut Street in Claremont. a 24-year-old man was killed when a tree uprooted and fell on the car he was driving. | 60 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2002-08-18 | LightningSunapee, Sullivan County A severe thunderstorm moving through Sullivan County downed trees onto power lines and produced dime-sized hail in the town of Sunapee. Three people and a dog were slightly injured in a garage when lightning struck a nearby tree. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1998-01-07 | Ice StormSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan A severe ICE STORM hit sections of New Hampshire from January 7 through January 9. The hardest hit areas in northern and central New Hampshire were generally between about 1000 and 2000 ft above sea level. While many cities and towns at lower elevations received only rain, towns at higher elevations, such as New ... | 0 | 1 | $3.5M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-10-08 | FloodSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 2 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 1998-01-07 | Ice StormSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 1 | $3.5M | |
| 2013-07-02 | Flash FloodClaremont, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1996-10-21 | Flash FloodLempster, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2021-07-29 | Flash FloodAcworth, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2007-04-16 | FloodNewport, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2008-12-11 | Ice StormSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2011-08-28 | FloodPlainfield, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 24, 1955 (tornado, Sullivan County); July 9, 1962 (tornado, Sullivan County); July 18, 1963 (tornado, Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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 | – | – | – | – | 28 | 85 | 45 | 25 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 33 | 44 | 48 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 15 | 26 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 9 | 17 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 7 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% 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 70 · Feb 55 · Mar 46 · Apr 19 · May 33 · Jun 52 · Jul 93 · Aug 70 · Sep 25 · Oct 23 · Nov 21 · Dec 48 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sullivan County
FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Sullivan County: 22 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (8).
| 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 |
| 2021-10-04 | DR-4624 | Flood | 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 |
| 2013-08-02 | DR-4139 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2007-04-27 | DR-1695 | 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 |
| 2005-04-28 | EM-3211 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2005-03-30 | EM-3207 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2005-03-30 | EM-3208 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3193 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-09-12 | DR-1489 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1996-10-29 | DR-1144 | Flood | Fall Northeaster Rainstorm |
| 1996-01-03 | DR-1077 | Flood | Excessive Rainfall, High Winds, and Flooding |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3101 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, High Winds & Record Snowfall |
| 1990-08-29 | DR-876 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1987-04-16 | DR-789 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1986-08-27 | DR-771 | Flood | Severe Storms, 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 Sullivan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 58 flood or flash flood records for Sullivan County from 1996 to 2023, on 38 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sullivan County ranks 1551st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.3 million on 62 claims filed in Sullivan County; the most in one year was 13 in 2023. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1981: 6 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 5 · 1986: 2 · 1987: 1 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1999: 2 · 2005: 5 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 1 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2023: 13; 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 Sullivan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sullivan County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $233K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $14K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $561K | once in about 17 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $12M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $324K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $77K | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $361K | 2.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $683K | 2.1 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 Sullivan 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 Sullivan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sullivan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)33 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis