108 flood insurance claims·$924,151 paid·7 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Belknap County, New Hampshire. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Belknap County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 26 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 15 general flood events and 2 tropical storm events resulting in 1 death. Recent severe weather events include a stalled frontal boundary in July 2023 that dropped multiple rounds of slow-moving showers on saturated soils, as well as a heavy rain event driven by low pressure and warm air in December 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that high-risk areas bear the brunt of property damage. Zone A properties account for the highest claim volume with 61 filings, averaging a payout of $13,132 and an average recorded water depth of 16 inches. Moderate- and low-risk zones also experience losses; unshaded Zone X properties recorded 15 claims averaging $10,840 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while shaded Zone X properties recorded 13 claims averaging $5,566 with an average depth of 7 inches. Properties with unknown zones recorded 9 claims averaging $5,568 and an average water depth of 19 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in high-risk Zone A, as well as properties outside designated high-risk zones, should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
31% of Belknap County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
89 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 12 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2005, with 18 claims and $301,896 paid, the year of Hurricane Katrina Evacuation and Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
27 NOAA storm reports from Belknap County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Hampshire flood stories →
30 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Apr 3, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 9, 2023 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Dec 22, 2022 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Oct 29, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Mar 14, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
43 since 1996: 26 flash floods and 15 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2021 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2021 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2021 | $40,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 29, 2023. A stalled frontal boundary and surface low pressure began to slowly lift northward into the southeast New Hampshire through the Midcoast of Maine on the afternoon of the 29th. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the boundary and moved eastward. Since the system as a whole showed very little forward progression, multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms ended up moving across the same locations multiple ti…
Flood · Dec 18, 2023. Low pressure began organizing in the Gulf of Mexico on the 16th, setting record low sea level pressures as it traversed the Southeast through the 17th. Strong high pressure over the North Atlantic created a deep southeasterly flow that drew warm air into New England ahead of the approaching storm. By the time precipitation arrived on the evening of the 17th, temperatures were warm enough for rain everywhere except…
Flash Flood · Jul 16, 2023. On the evening of July 15th isolated thunderstorms developed across southern New Hampshire. Storm movement mitigated flash flooding across the state, except for the city of Manchester where multiple storms traveled directly over the city on the evening of July 15th. Up to 2��� fell in an hour over the urban city area. The intense rainfall rates lead to rapid run-off and caused localized urban street flood…
Flood · Dec 23, 2022. Beginning on December 22nd a powerful storm was developing over the Ohio River Valley. On December 23rd the center of the storm was deepening rapidly (974mb) as it lifted through the eastern Great Lakes. While the center tracked into southern Ontario, high pressure retreated into the Canadian Maritimes creating a strong pressure gradient across the region. Strong southerly winds developed as a result, with speeds…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Belknap County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.