Sullivan County, New Hampshire severe weather history spans 263 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,019 nationally and #9 in New Hampshire.
263
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$8.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Sullivan County, New Hampshire severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sullivan County, New Hampshire severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 82 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 29 events fall before 1990 and 234 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sullivan County, New Hampshire record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $5.9M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sullivan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 151 | 1 | $17K | 90 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 49 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1962–2024 |
| Flood | 26 | 0 | $1.9M | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 24 | 0 | $5.9M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $184K | F2 | 1955–2022 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $154K | 0 | 2002–2007 |
Decade by decade
Sullivan County, New Hampshire severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-07-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-05-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 37.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-08-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-07-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-10-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 14.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sullivan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | PUCKERSHIRE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2002 | Lightning | SUNAPEE | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Acworth was the hardest hit community during the flash flooding on July 29th. Localized rainfall amounts on July 29th approached or exceeded 4.5 inches in less than six hours. Reports from FEMA and State Officials list 75% of the town's 29 roads were damaged. Multiple bridges were damaged and destroyed. Reports on damages ranged from approximately 2 to 7 million dollars. Most damage was on Crane Brook Road and Charlestown Road at Luther Hill Road. Local officials claim damage was the worst since the 2005 floods.
Flash flooding in Charlestown caused a road washouts, one on Route 12 between Almar St and Bowen Crossing. Another washout occurred on Scenic Hill Rd at Wheeler Rand Rd. The washouts were the result of overland runoff and not from any river or creek. At least six roads were closed in Charlestown, Pecor Road, Lamb Road, Meany Road, South Hemlock and Hackett Swamp. Nearby rain gages reported between 1.88-2.57 between 730 PM and midnight.
The Town of Newport sustained significant flooding to properties and businesses along NH Route 103 in the area of 48 John Stark Highway. Flood waters were 1 to 2 feet deep throughout a business plaza which sustained significant damages. The confluence of the Sugar River and its South Branch occurs just west of the impacted areas. The nearest river gage is located approximately 10 river miles to the west at an elevation of 500ft higher. The river did not reach flood stage at Claremont, but did show a notable increase in discharge from about 350cfs in the afternoon of the 29th, to a crest over 5,000cfs in the early morning hours of the 30th.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
43,715
Population (ACS)
$269K
Median home value
33
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2024 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 14, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 4, 2021 | Flood | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jan 2, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sullivan County, New Hampshire?
263 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $8.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sullivan County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 151 recorded events — 57.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sullivan County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sullivan County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sullivan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sullivan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sullivan County as very low risk, placing it in the 38 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sullivan County, New Hampshire severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Strafford County 256
- Rockingham County 537
- Merrimack County 460
- Hillsborough County 507
- Grafton County 775
- Coos County 364
Cite this page
“Sullivan County, New Hampshire.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-hampshire/sullivan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.