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Natural hazards · Salem

Salem, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 106 claims here since 1987. 17 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Salem?

41
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Salem to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Earthquakes9%Tornadoes6%Hurricanes6%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Salem faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Salem flood?

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

106paid claims since 1987
$2.5Mpaid to owners
11homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 10 claims, $149K

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

52flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Salem

17 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalemDeclared for Rockingham County only
2024

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$54K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$179K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2018

Severe Storm and Flooding

$62K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$94K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$111K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$22K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$48K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$12K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$155K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$167K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$256K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $59K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

400 households applied for aid $828K aid approved $365K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$65K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$110K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2003

Snow

$70K to the Town of Salem for repairs
2001

Snow

$137K to the Town of Salem for repairs
Rockingham County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Salem

Salem and the towns around it

Windham: Low, mostly inland floodingAtkinson: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham: High, mostly inland floodingMethuen: Low, mostly inland floodingDerry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Low, mostly inland floodingHudson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlaistow: Low, mostly inland floodingHampstead: Very low, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDracut: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Very high, mostly inland floodingSandown: Low, mostly inland floodingChester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalem: Moderate, mostly inland flooding SalemWindhamAtkinsonPelhamMethuenDerry
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Pelhammostly inland floodingHigh
Derrymostly inland floodingModerate
Salemmostly inland floodingModerate
Methuenmostly inland floodingLow
Windhammostly inland floodingLow
Atkinsonmostly 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. Salem covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Salem’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Salem. 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 Salem total about $7.5M 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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