TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
BedfordGood morning
Natural hazards · Bedford

Bedford, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bedford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 2003. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bedford?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bedford to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes18%Tornadoes6%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Bedford faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

18% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Bedford flood?

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

17paid claims since 2003
$386Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
20032026

Biggest named events

  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $10K

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. Bedford 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 Bedford

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BedfordDeclared for Hillsborough County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$70K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$73K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$121K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$52K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$93K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $15K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

117 households applied for aid $158K aid approved $115K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$38K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$44K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2003

Snow

$74K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
2001

Snow

$43K to the Town of Bedford for repairs
Hillsborough County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Bedford

Bedford and the towns around it

Manchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGoffstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAmherst: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMerrimack: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Boston: High, mostly inland floodingHooksett: Low, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Low, mostly inland floodingLitchfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDunbarton: Low, mostly inland floodingWeare: High, mostly inland floodingMilford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMont Vernon: Very low, mostly inland floodingHollis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNashua: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFrancestown: High, mostly inland floodingBedford: Low, mostly inland flooding BedfordManchesterGoffstownAmherstMerrimackNew Boston
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
New Bostonmostly inland floodingHigh
Merrimackmostly inland floodingModerate
Manchestermostly inland floodingModerate
Amherstmostly inland floodingModerate
Goffstownmostly inland floodingModerate
Bedfordmostly inland floodingLow
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. Bedford covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bedford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bedford. 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 Bedford total about $6.4M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bedford, NHHillsborough CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Bedford is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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