Natural hazards · Wakefield

Wakefield, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wakefield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1997. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wakefield?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding62%Hurricanes19%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Wakefield faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Wakefield flood?

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

2paid claims since 1997

$14Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19972026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Wakefield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Carroll County.

Disasters that hit Wakefield

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WakefieldDeclared for Carroll County only

2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$15K to the Town of Wakefield for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$164K to the Town of Wakefield for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$35K to the Town of Wakefield for repairs

Carroll County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Wakefield

Wakefield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Effinghammostly inland floodingHigh

Ossipeemostly inland floodingHigh

Wakefieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Brookfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Middletonmostly inland floodingLow

Miltonmostly inland floodingLow

Actonmostly inland floodingLow

Newfieldmostly 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. Wakefield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wakefield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wakefield. 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 Wakefield total about $2.0M 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.