NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bow, NH
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
39 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bow, New Hampshire since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 34
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Bow
The strongest storm to pass near Bow was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Carol in 1954, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Bow begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 6 systems. Of the 39 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Bow has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 39% of the 142 New Hampshire cities on this site. The strongest of the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 20, 1963; its path came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on July 24, 2008, killed 1 person. Of the 25, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on May 4, 2018. Of the 142 New Hampshire cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bow. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1962, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Bow has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 142 New Hampshire cities.
Compare Bow's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bow
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 64 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 13 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 7 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 4 | 68 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 29 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bow: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Bow
By decade
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s12(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 1963 | F3 | 21 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2008 | EF2 | 12 mi | 50.46 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jul 6, 1999 | F2 | 15 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1972 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 9, 1963 | F2 | 10 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 2, 1961 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 2018 | EF1 | 14 mi | 37.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1986 | F1 | 25 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1972 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 1970 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bow
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Bow since 1962, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 9, 2007. The most recent report is from September 6, 2025. July has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bow
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Concord Municipal Airport, NH, 4 miles northeast of Bow at 346 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 13°F. October is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 41.9 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 41.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 39 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 74°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 165 nights a year. Snowfall averages 67.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.9 inches is more than at 11 of the 39 New Hampshire stations used on this site (28%). Hooksett, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Massabesic Lake, NH): 42.8 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 13 | 2.8 | 6 | 17.1 |
| Feb | 35 | 15 | 2.8 | 6 | 16.9 |
| Mar | 44 | 23 | 3.3 | 7 | 13.6 |
| Apr | 58 | 33 | 3.4 | 7 | 2.5 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 49 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 38 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 3.4 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Dec | 37 | 20 | 3.7 | 7 | 14.3 |
| Year | 58 | 36 | 41.9 | 80 | 67.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Concord Municipal Airport, NH (346 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Bow
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 120 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bow: 91 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 floods, 11 flash floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on June 28, 1999. Of the 141 New Hampshire cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 77 have had fewer than Bow.
May 17, 2025: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Bow — 1 injured.
April 16, 2007: flood 4 miles from the centre of Bow — $1.0 million damage.
August 28, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Bow — $900,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Merrimack County, which includes Bow, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 floods, 5 snowstorms, 4 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Merrimack County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $48.8 million a year, the 4th highest of 10 New Hampshire counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $34.1 million (70%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.