NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bristol, 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
31 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bristol, New Hampshire since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 28
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Bristol
The strongest storm to pass near Bristol was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 12 miles. The record near Bristol begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 6 systems. Of the 31 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 142 New Hampshire cities on this site, 76% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bristol. The strongest of the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 25, 1969; its path came within 18 miles. Of the 25, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2024. Of the 142 New Hampshire cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bristol. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 142 New Hampshire cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bristol.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bristol
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 12 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 22 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 50 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bristol: 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 Bristol
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s7
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1970s9
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 1969 | F3 | 18 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 1973 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1972 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 2018 | EF1 | 22 mi | 37.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2011 | EF1 | 12 mi | 2.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 13, 1999 | F1 | 19 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 1995 | F1 | 7 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 1978 | F1 | 5 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 1972 | F1 | 20 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 1972 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1972 | F1 | 17 mi | 1 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 Bristol
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Bristol since 1968, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on June 3, 1968. The most recent report is from July 20, 2025. June and July have the most reports, 10 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bristol
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Grafton, NH, 11 miles west of Bristol at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 54°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 7°F. October is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 40.2 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 40.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 71°F and 3.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 199 nights a year. That 40.2 inches is more than at 4 of the 39 New Hampshire stations used on this site (10%). New Hampton, 5 miles east, has its own station (Lakeport 2, NH): 45.7 inches a year, 5.5 more than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 7 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 32 | 7 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 40 | 17 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 54 | 28 | 3.2 | 6 |
| May | 66 | 40 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Jun | 75 | 50 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 80 | 54 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Aug | 78 | 53 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Sep | 71 | 45 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 58 | 33 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 45 | 25 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Dec | 34 | 15 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Year | 55 | 31 | 40.2 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Grafton, NH (830 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 Bristol
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 113 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bristol: 90 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods and 11 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $6.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on July 6, 1999. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 12. Of the 141 New Hampshire cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 83 have had fewer than Bristol.
August 7, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Bristol — 1 killed, 2 injured, $700,000 damage.
August 28, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Bristol — $3.0 million damage.
October 30, 2017: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Bristol — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Very heavy rain of 3 to 6 inches in less than 12 hours resulted in numerous road washouts and flash flooding in Groton. Damage was estimated at 1 million dollars.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Bristol's ZIP code 03222 have filed 17 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $97,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 12% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 60 New Hampshire cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 16 have fewer than Bristol.
Grafton County, which includes Bristol, has been named in 40 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 29 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 8 floods, 6 hurricanes, 5 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm and Flooding, on August 20, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Grafton County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $50.4 million a year, the 3rd highest of 10 New Hampshire counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $43.0 million (85%), 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.
Cities near Bristol
- New Hampton, NH5 mi
- Ashland, NH9 mi
- Sanbornton, NH10 mi
- Plymouth, NH11 mi
- Andover, NH12 mi
- Meredith, NH12 mi
- Franklin, NH13 mi
- Canaan, NH14 mi
- Tilton, NH15 mi
- Rumney, NH15 mi
- Laconia, NH16 mi
- Belmont, NH18 mi
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