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Natural hazards · Dover

Dover, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dover comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1983. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dover?

46
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dover to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Earthquakes7%Everything else23%
By hazard

What Dover faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Dover flood?

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

32paid claims since 1983
$922Kpaid to owners
6homes flooded more than once
19832026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $134K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DoverDeclared for Strafford County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$70K to the City of Dover for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$94K to the City of Dover for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$84K to the City of Dover for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$33K to the City of Dover for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

1 household applied for aid $61K to the City of Dover for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$174K to the City of Dover for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$304K to the City of Dover for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $178K to the City of Dover for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

144 households applied for aid $255K aid approved $309K to the City of Dover for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$46K to the City of Dover for repairs
2003

Snow

$50K to the City of Dover for repairs
2001

Snow

$58K to the City of Dover for repairs
Strafford County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Dover

Dover and the towns around it

Rollinsford: Low, mostly inland floodingEliot: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Berwick: Low, mostly inland floodingNewington: Very low, mostly inland floodingMadbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSomersworth: Low, mostly inland floodingRochester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBerwick: Low, mostly inland floodingKittery: Low, mostly inland floodingYork: Low, mostly inland floodingPortsmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingWells: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Berwick: Low, mostly inland floodingDurham: Low, mostly inland floodingGreenland: Very low, mostly inland floodingLee: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBarrington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLebanon: Low, mostly inland floodingFarmington: High, mostly inland floodingStrafford: Low, mostly inland floodingDover: Moderate, mostly inland flooding DoverRollinsfordEliotSouth BerwickNewingtonMadburySomersworthRochester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Madburymostly inland floodingModerate
Dovermostly inland floodingModerate
Rochestermostly inland floodingModerate
Rollinsfordmostly inland floodingLow
South Berwickmostly inland floodingLow
Eliotmostly inland floodingLow
Somersworthmostly inland floodingLow
Newingtonmostly 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. Dover covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dover’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dover. 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 Dover total about $6.8M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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