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Natural hazards · Winchester

Winchester, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1981. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Winchester?

84
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winchester to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Winchester faces

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

Inland flooding

82% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Winchester flood?

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

13paid claims since 1981
$121Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19812026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Winchester is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Cheshire County.
Disasters that hit Winchester

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinchesterDeclared for Cheshire County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$261K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2021

Severe Storm and Flooding

$89K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$44K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $378K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$18K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$11K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2003

Snow

$21K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2001

Snow

$12K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
1999

Tropical Storm Floyd

$16K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
Cheshire County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Winchester

Winchester and the towns around it

Richmond: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSwanzey: High, mostly inland floodingHinsdale: High, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTroy: High, mostly inland floodingFitzwilliam: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMarlborough: High, mostly inland floodingKeene: High, mostly inland floodingChesterfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVernon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrattleboro: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrange: High, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Very high, mostly inland flooding WinchesterRichmondSwanzeyHinsdaleWarwick
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Winchestermostly inland floodingVery high
Swanzeymostly inland floodingHigh
Hinsdalemostly inland floodingHigh
Warwickmostly inland floodingModerate
Richmondmostly inland floodingModerate
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. Winchester covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Winchester. 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 Winchester 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.

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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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