Natural disaster risk in Belknap County, New Hampshire
New Hampshire · population 63,653 · FIPS 33001
Overall: relatively low risk
Belknap County has a composite risk score of 57.4 out of 100 — higher than 57% of US counties. It ranks 9 of 10 in New Hampshire (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are lightning, ice storm, winter weather.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, at least 54 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 81% of Belknap County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Belknap County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 57.4 |
| Expected annual loss About $23.9 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 66.2 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 17 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 81.5 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Belknap County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively high 94 |
| Ice storm | Relatively high 83 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 75 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 78 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 71 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 70 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 59 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 42 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 37 |
| Drought | Relatively low 34 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 32 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 31 |
| Wildfire | Very low 25 |
| Avalanche | Very low 16 |
| Hail | Very low 15 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Belknap County
Federal declarations that designated Belknap County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Belknap County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4799-NH (Severe Winter Storm and Flooding), declared 10 Jul 2024.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4799-NH | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | 10 Jul 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in New Hampshire, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
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). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Belknap County, New Hampshire?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Belknap County as relatively low, with a score of 57.4 out of 100 (higher than 57% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Belknap County?
The hazards rated highest for Belknap County are lightning (relatively high), ice storm (relatively high), winter weather (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Belknap County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Belknap County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Belknap County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Belknap County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4799-NH (Severe Winter Storm and Flooding), declared 10 Jul 2024.
Is Belknap County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 81% of Belknap County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
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