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Natural hazards · Gilsum

Gilsum, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gilsum comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gilsum?

67
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gilsum to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Everything else23%
By hazard

What Gilsum faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

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 Gilsum flood?

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

6paid claims since 1979
$63Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19792026

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

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GilsumDeclared for Cheshire County only
2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$28K to the Town of Gilsum for repairs
2012

Severe Storm and Flooding

$723K to the Town of Gilsum for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $61K aid approved $104K to the Town of Gilsum for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

$40K to the Town of Gilsum for repairs
2001

Snow

$5K to the Town of Gilsum for repairs
Cheshire County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Gilsum

Gilsum and the towns around it

Sullivan: High, mostly inland floodingMarlow: High, mostly inland floodingAlstead: High, mostly inland floodingSurry: High, mostly inland floodingKeene: High, mostly inland floodingNelson: High, mostly inland floodingStoddard: High, mostly inland floodingWashington: High, mostly inland floodingLempster: High, mostly inland floodingLangdon: High, mostly inland floodingWalpole: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAcworth: High, mostly inland floodingWestmoreland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoxbury: High, mostly inland floodingSwanzey: High, mostly inland floodingMarlborough: High, mostly inland floodingGilsum: High, mostly inland flooding GilsumSullivanMarlowAlsteadSurryKeene
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Keenemostly inland floodingHigh
Gilsummostly inland floodingHigh
Marlowmostly inland floodingHigh
Alsteadmostly inland floodingHigh
Surrymostly inland floodingHigh
Sullivanmostly inland floodingHigh
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. Gilsum 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 Gilsum’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Gilsum. 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.

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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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