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Natural hazards · Amherst

Amherst, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Amherst comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1987. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Amherst?

49
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Amherst to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Hurricanes14%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Amherst faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Amherst flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Amherst, from FEMA’s records.

43paid claims since 1987
$561Kpaid to owners
8homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Amherst isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hillsborough County.
Disasters that hit Amherst

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Amherst itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Amherst.

Brought FEMA money into AmherstDeclared for Hillsborough County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$28K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$14K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$102K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$6K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$12K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$45K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $61K aid approved $66K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

42 households applied for aid $79K aid approved $44K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved
2005

Record Snow

$22K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$27K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2003

Snow

$52K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
Hillsborough County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Amherst

Amherst and the towns around it

Milford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMont Vernon: Very low, mostly inland floodingMerrimack: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBedford: Low, mostly inland floodingHollis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLyndeborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrookline: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilton: High, mostly inland floodingNashua: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLitchfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingManchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGoffstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Boston: High, mostly inland floodingPepperell: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst: Moderate, mostly inland flooding AmherstMilfordMont VernonMerrimackBedfordHollis
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Merrimackmostly inland floodingModerate
Milfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Amherstmostly inland floodingModerate
Hollismostly inland floodingModerate
Bedfordmostly inland floodingLow
Mont Vernonmostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Amherst covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Amherst’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Amherst. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Amherst total about $4.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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