Natural hazards · Center Harbor

Center Harbor, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Center Harbor comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Center Harbor?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Center Harbor to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Lightning8%Hurricanes6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Center Harbor faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lightning

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Center Harbor flood?

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

1paid claims since 2008

$18Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Center Harbor isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Belknap County.

Disasters that hit Center Harbor

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Center HarborDeclared for Belknap County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm

$12K to the Town of Center Harbor for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Town of Center Harbor for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Center Harbor for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$5K to the Town of Center Harbor for repairs

2003

Snow

$6K to the Town of Center Harbor for repairs

1999

Tropical Storm Floyd

$5K to the Town of Center Harbor for repairs

Belknap County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Center Harbor

Center Harbor and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Holdernessmostly inland floodingHigh

Center Harbormostly inland floodingModerate

New Hamptonmostly inland floodingModerate

Moultonboroughmostly inland floodingModerate

Meredithmostly 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. Center Harbor is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Center Harbor’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Center Harbor. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.