Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Belknap County, NH

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
33001
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: No county-level plan row in FEMA data.

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($16,197,358 a year), Lightning ($2,234,452) and Hurricane ($1,884,504).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

No county-level plan row in FEMA data

What changed since your last plan

Not available. No county-level plan row in FEMA data, so there is no approval date to count from.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiry
Laconia cityCityApproved, expires 2030-09-08City of Laconia, New Hampshire Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, 2025 (FEMA plan 111099)2025-09-092030-09-081,439
Alton townTownApproved, expires 2029-07-17Alton, NH Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024 (FEMA plan 109826)2024-07-182029-07-171,021
Barnstead townTownApproved, expires 2029-04-18Town of Barnstead, NH Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2023 (FEMA plan 109346)2024-04-192029-04-18931
Belmont townTownApproved, expires 2030-02-13Town of Belmont, NH Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024 (FEMA plan 110364)2025-02-142030-02-131,232
Center Harbor townTownExpired on 2026-07-05Town of Center Harbor, New Hampshire Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2021 (FEMA plan 107618)2021-07-062026-07-05-87
Gilford townTownApproved, expires 2031-04-12Town of Gilford, NH Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2026 (FEMA plan 111650)2026-04-132031-04-121,655
Gilmanton townTownApproved, expires 2030-09-03Town of Gilmanton, New Hampshire Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, 2025 (FEMA plan 111004)2025-09-042030-09-031,434
Meredith townTownApproved, expires 2029-12-08Town of Meredith, New Hampshire Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, 2024 (FEMA plan 108831)2024-12-092029-12-081,165
New Hampton townTownApproved, expires 2029-03-14New Hampton Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2023 (FEMA plan 109303)2024-03-152029-03-14896
Sanbornton townTownApproved, expires 2031-03-31Town of Sanbornton, NH Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 111468)2026-04-012031-03-311,643
Tilton townTownApproved, expires 2029-04-02Town of Tilton, New Hampshire Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, 2023 (FEMA plan 109239)2024-04-032029-04-02915

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$15,981,674$1,900$213,784$16,197,35841
2LightningRelatively HighRelatively High$32,667n/a$2,201,786$2,234,45220
3HurricaneRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$1,789,010$35,902$59,592$1,884,5042
4TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$303,033$70$371,454$674,5577
5Ice StormRelatively HighRelatively High$615,733n/a$52,121$667,8542
6Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$82$1,493$575,009$576,58324Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
7EarthquakeRelatively LowRelatively Low$491,391n/a$58,114$549,505Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
8Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$72,758$122$393,470$466,350180Includes 16 High Wind and 31 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
9Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Lowunder $1$3,536$311,280$314,8172
10Winter WeatherRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$45,513$6$162,028$207,547195
11HailVery LowVery Low$5,035$888$59,136$65,05954
12DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$46,821n/a$46,82119
13WildfireVery LowVery Low$12,050$1$1,277$13,3290No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14LandslideRelatively LowVery Low$5,459n/a$2,957$8,4150No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15AvalancheVery LowVery Low$0n/a$25$250No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 9651 (Very Low, 7.9); tract 9654 (Very Low, 6.8)
Earthquaketract 9655.98 (Relatively Low, 71.3); tract 9660 (Relatively Low, 64.8); tract 9651 (Relatively Low, 56.6)
Hurricanetract 9655.98 (Relatively Moderate, 82.5); tract 9665.02 (Relatively Moderate, 81.7); tract 9656 (Relatively Moderate, 80.1)
Landslidetract 9651 (Relatively Low, 94.6); tract 9656 (Relatively Low, 92.2); tract 9665.01 (Relatively Low, 92.0)
Tornadotract 9655.98 (Relatively Low, 52.4); tract 9660 (Relatively Low, 47.6); tract 9653 (Relatively Low, 44.1)
Wildfiretract 9655.98 (Relatively Low, 70.1); tract 9653 (Very Low, 66.9); tract 9656 (Very Low, 66.5)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9651 is Census Tract 9651). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill23 records, 1998 to 2026 (23 zone-level)1 day to 6 days (median 2 days); 20 with a recorded value6 consecutive days, 2000-01-13 to 2000-01-18, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2023 (1 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)19 records, 1999 to 2026 (19 zone-level)26 days to 120 days (median 61 days); 9 with a recorded value120 days (4 months), 2026-02-01 to 2026-05-31, a run of 4 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelDrought, 2020-11-01, $20,000 property; $9,000,000 crops (zone total, 2020 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)64 records, 1968 to 20250.75 in to 2 in (median 0.88 in); 64 with a recorded value2 in hail, 1970-07-12Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Laconia city (8 records), Alton town (7 records), Meredith town (7 records), Sanbornton town (5 records), Gilford town (4 records), Belmont town (3 records), Barnstead town (2 records), Center Harbor town (2 records), Gilmanton town (2 records), New Hampton town (2 records); and 1 more jurisdiction (see the Excel file).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)2 records, 1998 (2 zone-level)No in-season record among 2 records, so no run is shown (see the note).Countywide (zone-level records).Heat records from November to March (unseasonable warmth, not a heat wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson2 records, 2011 to 2020 (2 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Tropical Storm record, 2011-08-28, damage not reported, 1 direct death, 1 direct injury (reported for the zone); NWS zone NHZ009Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)2 records, 1998 to 2008 (2 zone-level)Ice Storm, 1998-01-07, $3,770,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars); NWS zone NHZ009Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)41 records, 1996 to 2023 (4 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2008-08-07, $1,500,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Alton town (5 records), Barnstead town (4 records), Laconia city (4 records), Gilford town (3 records), Sanbornton town (3 records), Belmont town (2 records), Meredith town (1 record), New Hampton town (1 record), Tilton town (1 record). Zone-level records (4) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)20 records, 1996 to 2020Lightning, 2007-09-27, $200,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Laconia city (5 records), Sanbornton town (3 records), Gilford town (2 records), Meredith town (2 records), New Hampton town (2 records), Alton town (1 record), Belmont town (1 record), Center Harbor town (1 record), Gilmanton town (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)47 records, 1996 to 2017 (47 zone-level)31 kt (36 mph) to 65 kt (75 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 18 with a recorded value65 kt (75 mph), measurement type not recorded, High Wind, 1997-11-01; NWS zone NHZ009High Wind, 2007-04-16, $685,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2007 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)154 records, 1960 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 91 kt (105 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 134 with a recorded value91 kt (105 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2025-07-20Thunderstorm Wind, 2020-06-06, $100,000 property; crops not reported (2020 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Meredith town (19 records), Laconia city (17 records), Sanbornton town (15 records), Belmont town (14 records), Alton town (11 records), Gilford town (8 records), Gilmanton town (8 records), New Hampton town (8 records), Tilton town (7 records), Center Harbor town (6 records); and 1 more jurisdiction (see the Excel file).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)12 records, 1960 to 2020F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF1); 12 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1972-07-03, 1 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 40 yd wide, $25,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars), 7 direct injuriesTornado, 2008-07-24, $561,000 property; crops not reported (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Alton town (1 record), Barnstead town (1 record), Center Harbor town (1 record), Gilford town (1 record), Meredith town (1 record), Sanbornton town (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)195 records, 1996 to 2026 (195 zone-level)No damage reported in 195 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

Where a hazard names more than 10 jurisdictions, the table lists the 10 with the most records; every one is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-c Extent".

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 30 declarations covering 23 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

No county-level plan row in FEMA data, so there is no approval date to count from.

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2024-07-102024-04-03DR-4799-NHMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and FloodingWinter Weather (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 years
2023-09-142023-07-09DR-4740-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$1,049,840.31within last 5 years
2023-03-152022-12-22DR-4693-NHMajor disasterSevere Storm and FloodingInland Flooding$669,549.99within last 5 years
2020-04-032020-01-20DR-4516-NHMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$858,024.30
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3445-NHEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4516
2018-01-022017-10-29DR-4355-NHMajor disasterSevere Storm and FloodingInland Flooding$253,383.27
2017-06-012017-03-14DR-4316-NHMajor disasterSevere Winter StormWinter Weather$35,451.27
2013-03-192013-02-08DR-4105-NHMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormWinter Weather$211,276.58
2012-11-282012-10-26DR-4095-NHMajor disasterHurricane SandyHurricane$15,756.14
2012-10-302012-10-26EM-3360-NHEmergencyHurricane SandyHurricane$9,278.77same incident as DR-4095
2011-11-012011-10-29EM-3344-NHEmergencySevere StormHazard not mapped (severe storm title names no single hazard); not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2011-09-032011-08-26DR-4026-NHMajor disasterTropical Storm IreneHurricane$179,431.54
2011-08-272011-08-26EM-3333-NHEmergencyHurricane IreneHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4026
2009-01-022008-12-11DR-1812-NHMajor disasterSevere Winter StormIce Storm$156,870.15
2008-12-132008-12-11EM-3297-NHEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1812
2008-09-052008-07-24DR-1787-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$1,261,261.68
2008-08-112008-07-24DR-1782-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornado, and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado$256,005.04
2007-04-272007-04-15DR-1695-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$1,708,079.48
2006-05-252006-05-12DR-1643-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$373,530.10
2005-10-262005-10-07DR-1610-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$605,872.14
2005-09-192005-08-29EM-3258-NHEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-03-302005-01-22EM-3207-NHEmergencyRecord and/or Near Record SnowWinter Weather$118,984.82
2004-01-152003-12-06EM-3193-NHEmergencySnowWinter Weather$144,373.20
1999-10-181999-09-16DR-1305-NHMajor disasterTropical Storm FloydHurricane$4,860.26
1998-07-021998-06-12DR-1231-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1998-01-151998-01-07DR-1199-NHMajor disasterSevere Ice Storm, Rains and High WindsIce Storm; Strong Windno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-161993-03-13EM-3101-NHEmergencyBlizzards, High Winds & Record SnowfallWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1990-08-291990-08-07DR-876-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1974-01-211974-01-21DR-411-NHMajor disasterHeavy Rains & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1973-07-111973-07-11DR-399-NHMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1953-07-021953-07-02DR-11-NHMajor disasterForest FireWildfire

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave24301996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought19701996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail64401955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave2001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane2031996 to 2026-06-30
Ice Storm2021996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding418131996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning20001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind2011511955 to 2026-06-30Includes 16 High Wind and 31 Strong Wind records.
Tornado12011950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather1952581996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-02-01Drought$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2026 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NHZ009 (BELKNAP), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2025-07-20Thunderstorm Wind91 kt (105 mph) estimated gust$30,000 property; $0 crops (2025 dollars)0, 0GAZA to SANBORNTONwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2011-08-28Tropical Stormdamage not reported1, 1NWS zone NHZ009 (BELKNAP), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2008-08-07Flash Flood$1,500,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)0, 0LAKEPORTB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2008-08-07Flash Flood$700,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)1, 2WEST CENTER HARBORdeaths or injuries recorded
2007-09-27Lightning$200,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)0, 0ALTONB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2000-01-13Extreme Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone NHZ009 (BELKNAP), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1999-07-06Thunderstorm Wind60 kt (69 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not reported1, 0SANBORNTONdeaths or injuries recorded
1998-01-07Ice Storm$3,770,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1998 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NHZ009 (BELKNAP), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
1997-11-01High Wind65 kt (75 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not reported0, 0NWS zone NHZ009 (BELKNAP), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1972-07-03TornadoF2, 1 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 40 yd wide$25,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars)0, 7location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
1970-07-12Hail2 indamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Hail

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (582 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

FEMA's declaration data list no tribal or special-area declarations for this state.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave1.95event-days per yearabout 1.95 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)372005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought1.17event-days per yearabout 1.17 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)1262000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00163annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.163%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail1.96events per yearabout 1.96 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)74.5 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave2.53event-days per yearabout 2.53 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)442005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.0899events per yearabout 1 in 11 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)281851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm1.84event-days per yearabout 1.84 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)1231946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding1.04event-days per yearabout 1.04 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 16 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (53.3%)291996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.59events per year (modeled)about 0.59 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning20.1days per year with a strikeabout 20.1 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.804events per yearabout 0.8 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)311986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.0538events per yearabout 1 in 19 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.0000161annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.00161%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather20.2event-days per yearabout 20.2 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 30 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (100%)3832005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202524300.8
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025123304.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20255300.167
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche2 of 186.87.37.9Very Low 2, Not Applicable 16
Cold Wave18 of 1826.637.049.8Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 17
Drought2 of 1888.689.991.2Relatively Low 2, No Rating 16
Earthquake18 of 1829.045.971.3Relatively Low 12, Very Low 6
Hail18 of 1826.836.447.1Relatively Low 8, Very Low 10
Heat Wave18 of 189.122.138.6Relatively Low 15, Very Low 3
Hurricane18 of 1865.277.782.5Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 13
Ice Storm18 of 1879.389.995.9Relatively High 9, Relatively Moderate 9
Inland Flooding18 of 1815.665.495.5Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 13, Relatively Low 2
Landslide18 of 1859.484.894.6Relatively Low 11, Very Low 7
Lightning18 of 1892.598.699.7Very High 16, Relatively High 2
Strong Wind18 of 1839.358.576.8Relatively Moderate 12, Relatively Low 6
Tornado18 of 1829.037.952.4Relatively Low 17, Very Low 1
Wildfire18 of 1847.962.870.1Relatively Low 1, Very Low 17
Winter Weather18 of 1865.282.192.4Relatively High 14, Relatively Moderate 4

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Laconia cityCityApproved, expires 2030-09-08FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 4$982,53134 total; 0 since its planIncludes $17,369.22 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4516-NH).
Alton townTownApproved, expires 2029-07-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$1,923,513.1525 total; 2 since its plan
Barnstead townTownApproved, expires 2029-04-18FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 1$1,788,870.6611 total; 0 since its plan
Belmont townTownApproved, expires 2030-02-13FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 4$422,906.0420 total; 0 since its planIncludes $185,535.05 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4516-NH).
Center Harbor townTownExpired on 2026-07-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$58,046.4510 total; 0 since its plan
Gilford townTownApproved, expires 2031-04-12FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$412,767.3418 total; 0 since its planIncludes $10,546.30 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4516-NH).
Gilmanton townTownApproved, expires 2030-09-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$219,120.6511 total; 0 since its plan
Meredith townTownApproved, expires 2029-12-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$502,783.5730 total; 0 since its planIncludes $3,880.25 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4516-NH).
New Hampton townTownApproved, expires 2029-03-14FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 3$633,56813 total; 1 since its plan
Sanbornton townTownApproved, expires 2031-03-31FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$174,868.8027 total; 1 since its plan
Tilton townTownApproved, expires 2029-04-02FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$61,109.049 total; 0 since its planIncludes $56,617.14 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4516-NH).

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

No county-level plan row in FEMA data, so there is no approval date to count from.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since plancounty-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$0n/aunder 1$0n/a$25building exposure is 0 in NRI
Cold Wave$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653$82$1,493$575,009under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$1,415,197n/an/a$46,821n/a3.31% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$26,504,535,919n/a63,705$491,391n/a$58,1140.00185%
Hail$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653$5,035$888$59,136under 0.0001%
Heat Wave$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653under $1$3,536$311,280under 0.0001%
Hurricane$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653$1,789,010$35,902$59,5920.0115%
Ice Storm$15,549,635,935n/a63,545$615,733n/a$52,1210.00396%
Inland Flooding$15,464,002,503$370,4901,730$15,981,674$1,900$213,784n/a (see note)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$851,074,469n/a3,295$5,459n/a$2,9570.000641%
Lightning$15,576,414,425n/a63,653$32,667n/a$2,201,7860.00021%
Strong Wind$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653$72,758$122$393,4700.000467%
Tornado$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653$303,033$70$371,4540.00195%
Wildfire$9,595,588,635$7,162,54541,623$12,050$1$1,2770.000126%
Winter Weather$15,576,414,425$9,806,79863,653$45,513$6$162,0280.000292%

Totals since the plan: not available. No county-level plan row in FEMA data, so there is no approval date to count from.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population63,653
Building value (total, not at risk)$15,576,414,425
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$9,806,798
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$19,445,144
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$4,462,034
Social vulnerability ratingVery Low
Community resilience ratingVery High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)4
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition15Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition4

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county total and NFIP communities

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total041541501
of which: Alton town0010100
of which: Belmont town0141401
of which: Laconia city0141400
of which: Meredith town0010100
of which: New Hampton town0131300
of which: Tilton town0010100
of which: Barnstead town0111100

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Laconia city3300050141400
Alton town3300010010100
Barnstead town3301770111100
Belmont town3300020141401
Center Harbor town3302420000000
Gilford town3300040000000
Gilmanton town3302080000000
Meredith town3300060010100
New Hampton town3300070131300
Sanbornton town3300080000000
Tilton town3300090010100

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0292901
2 to 4 unit residential0010100
other residential0111100
non-residential0141400
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 15 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Belknap County, NH: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 33001). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/nh/33001/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org