Natural hazards · Peterborough

Peterborough, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Peterborough comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Peterborough?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Peterborough to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Hurricanes9%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Peterborough faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Peterborough flood?

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

33paid claims since 1978

$604Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Peterborough is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Hillsborough County.

Disasters that hit Peterborough

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PeterboroughDeclared for Hillsborough County only

2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$22K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$4K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$230K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $14K aid approved $498K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2005

Record Snow

$20K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$24K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2003

Snow

$28K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

2001

Snow

$16K to the Town of Peterborough for repairs

Hillsborough County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Peterborough

Peterborough and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Peterboroughmostly inland floodingHigh

Hancockmostly inland floodingModerate

Templemostly inland floodingLow

Sharonmostly inland floodingLow

Dublinmostly inland floodingLow

Harrisvillemostly inland floodingLow

Greenfieldmostly 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. Peterborough covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Peterborough’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Peterborough. 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 Peterborough total about $3.4M 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.