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Natural hazards · Pelham

Pelham, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pelham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Pelham?

62
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pelham to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Hurricanes13%Tornadoes5%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Pelham faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Pelham flood?

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

24paid claims since 1979
$498Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $12K

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

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PelhamDeclared for Hillsborough County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$46K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$31K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$12K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$68K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$23K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$60K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $11K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

95 households applied for aid $211K aid approved $71K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2005

Record Snow

$20K to the Town of Pelham for repairs
Hillsborough County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Pelham

Pelham and the towns around it

Windham: Low, mostly inland floodingDracut: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHudson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalem: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMethuen: Low, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Low, mostly inland floodingDerry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingLowell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTewksbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingNashua: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLitchfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAtkinson: Low, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Very high, mostly inland floodingPelham: High, mostly inland flooding PelhamWindhamDracutHudsonSalemMethuen
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Pelhammostly inland floodingHigh
Hudsonmostly inland floodingModerate
Dracutmostly inland floodingModerate
Salemmostly inland floodingModerate
Methuenmostly inland floodingLow
Windhammostly 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. Pelham covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pelham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Pelham. 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 Pelham total about $3.8M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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