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Natural hazards · Bow

Bow, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bow comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2006. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bow?

38
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bow to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Hurricanes14%Tornadoes6%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Bow faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 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 windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bow flood?

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

7paid claims since 2006
$547Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20062026

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. Bow isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Merrimack County.
Disasters that hit Bow

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BowDeclared for Merrimack County only
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$14K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$36K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$5K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$8K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$37K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$51K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $19K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

55 households applied for aid $86K aid approved $254K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $5K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$31K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2003

Snow

$41K to the Town of Bow for repairs
2001

Snow

$19K to the Town of Bow for repairs
Merrimack County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Bow

Bow and the towns around it

Concord: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDunbarton: Low, mostly inland floodingPembroke: High, mostly inland floodingHopkinton: High, mostly inland floodingHooksett: Low, mostly inland floodingCanterbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBoscawen: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLoudon: High, mostly inland floodingWeare: High, mostly inland floodingGoffstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAllenstown: High, mostly inland floodingChichester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEpsom: High, mostly inland floodingHenniker: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarner: High, mostly inland floodingWebster: High, mostly inland floodingManchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Low, mostly inland floodingCandia: Low, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBow: Low, mostly inland flooding BowConcordDunbartonPembrokeHopkintonHooksett
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Hopkintonmostly inland floodingHigh
Pembrokemostly inland floodingHigh
Concordmostly inland floodingModerate
Bowmostly inland floodingLow
Hooksettmostly inland floodingLow
Dunbartonmostly 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. Bow covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bow. 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 Bow total about $2.3M 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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You’re in Bow, NHMerrimack CountyView boundary

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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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