Belknap County, New Hampshire: hazard risk
FEMA rates Belknap County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 57.4 of 100, higher than 57% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, ice storm. Its storm record holds 584 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.8 | $2.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.5 | $668K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.3 | $208K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 78.4 | $1.9M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.6 | $8K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 70.3 | $16M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 59.8 | $550K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 42.5 | $315K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 37.6 | $466K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.4 | $47K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.5 | $577K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 31.4 | $675K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.3 | $13K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 16.4 | $25 |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.6 | $65K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 197 | 0 | $7.3M | 2nd of 10 | 121st of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 154 | 1 | $185K | 2nd of 10 | 1273rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 64 | 0 | – | 1st of 10 | 1697th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 0 | $1.8M | 2nd of 10 | 268th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 41 | 1 | $8.6M | 5th of 10 | 1078th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 0 | – | 1st of 10 | 399th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $899K | 3rd of 10 | 99th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 19 | 0 | $11M | 2nd of 10 | 1002nd of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $2.8M | 1st of 10 | 1565th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 2nd of 10 | 1881st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 4th of 10 | 1344th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 1 | – | 3rd of 10 | 708th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Belknap County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.