Merrimack County, New Hampshire: hazard risk
FEMA rates Merrimack County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 78.2 of 100, higher than 78% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 774 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 89.8 | $1.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.2 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85.8 | $34M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 84.8 | $4.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.4 | $268K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52.5 | $748K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 81.1 | $23K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.1 | $1.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 70.6 | $1.2M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 58.8 | $329K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 56.2 | $1.9M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 53.8 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 37.2 | $202K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 35.2 | $24K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 28.5 | $119 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 242 | 1 | $54K | 7th of 10 | 2005th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 187 | 0 | $8.8M | 7th of 10 | 697th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 111 | 0 | $15M | 3rd of 10 | 946th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 101 | 0 | $100 | 7th of 10 | 2364th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 53 | 1 | $165K | 7th of 10 | 837th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 0 | – | 6th of 10 | 1040th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | $11M | 5th of 10 | 1559th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $6.7M | 7th of 10 | 359th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 0 | $433K | 8th of 10 | 2521st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 7th of 10 | 2070th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 6th of 10 | 1884th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $6K | 7th of 10 | 907th 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 Merrimack County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.