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Natural hazards · Durham

Durham, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Durham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1987. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Durham?

33
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Durham to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Earthquakes7%Hurricanes6%Drought6%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Durham faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Durham flood?

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

11paid claims since 1987
$213Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $53K

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. Durham 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Durham

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DurhamDeclared for Strafford County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$27K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$24K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$22K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$16K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$9K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$90K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$63K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $41K aid approved $56K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

54 households applied for aid $97K aid approved $619K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$19K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2003

Snow

$16K to the Town of Durham for repairs
2001

Snow

$24K to the Town of Durham for repairs
Strafford County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Durham

Durham and the towns around it

Newington: Very low, mostly inland floodingMadbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewmarket: High, mostly inland floodingLee: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreenland: Very low, mostly inland floodingPortsmouth: Low, mostly inland floodingEliot: Low, mostly inland floodingDover: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBarrington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewfields: Low, mostly inland floodingStratham: Low, mostly inland floodingNottingham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDurham: Low, mostly inland flooding DurhamNewingtonMadburyNewmarketLee
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Newmarketmostly inland floodingHigh
Madburymostly inland floodingModerate
Leemostly inland floodingModerate
Durhammostly 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. Durham covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Durham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Durham. 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 Durham total about $3.6M 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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