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Natural hazards · Canaan

Canaan, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Canaan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1992. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Canaan?

80
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canaan to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Canaan faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Canaan flood?

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

10paid claims since 1992
$86Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19922026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $8K

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

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CanaanDeclared for Grafton County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$72K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2019

Severe Storm and Flooding

$177K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2017

Severe Storms and Flooding

$79K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

11 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $81K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$9K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$48K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$47K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$12K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$13K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2003

Snow

$10K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
2001

Snow

$9K to the Town of Canaan for repairs
Grafton County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Canaan

Canaan and the towns around it

Dorchester: Very high, mostly inland floodingEnfield: High, mostly inland floodingOrange: Very high, mostly inland floodingHanover: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Very high, mostly inland floodingGroton: Very high, mostly inland floodingWentworth: Very high, mostly inland floodingLyme: Very high, mostly inland floodingRumney: High, mostly inland floodingLebanon: High, mostly inland floodingGrantham: High, mostly inland floodingAlexandria: Very high, mostly inland floodingNorwich: High, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: High, mostly inland floodingDanbury: Very high, mostly inland floodingPlymouth: High, mostly inland floodingHebron: Very high, mostly inland floodingCanaan: Very high, mostly inland flooding CanaanDorchesterEnfieldOrangeHanoverGraftonGroton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dorchestermostly inland floodingVery high
Orangemostly inland floodingVery high
Graftonmostly inland floodingVery high
Grotonmostly inland floodingVery high
Canaanmostly inland floodingVery high
Enfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Hanovermostly inland floodingModerate
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. Canaan covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Canaan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Canaan. 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 Canaan total about $1.6M 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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