NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lee, 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
37 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lee, New Hampshire since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 26
- 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 Lee
The strongest storm to pass near Lee was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1869, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Lee begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 54 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems. Of the 37 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Lee has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 39% of the 142 New Hampshire cities on this site. The strongest of the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 9, 1953; its path came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on July 24, 2008, killed 1 person. Of the 26, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on July 24, 2008. Of the 142 New Hampshire cities, 49% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lee. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 78 times since 1963, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Lee has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 142 New Hampshire cities.
Compare Lee's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lee
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 5 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 39 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 38 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | EstherSep 26 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | overhead | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | overhead | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 20 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 4 | 41 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 3 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 8 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 Lee: 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 Lee
By decade
- 2000s3
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s8
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1953 | F3 | 9 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 24, 2008 | EF2 | 15 mi | 50.46 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 21, 2006 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 6, 1999 | F2 | 18 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 1976 | F2 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1963 | F2 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 14, 1963 | F2 | 14 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 2, 1961 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 19, 1957 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 21, 1956 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F2 | 14 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lee
The Storm Prediction Center has 78 hail reports within 10 miles of Lee since 1963, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 3, 2014. The most recent report is from June 23, 2024. June has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lee
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Durham 2 SSW, NH, 3 miles east of Lee at 63 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 14°F. March is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 47.2 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (23.5 of 47.2 inches). September has brought the most of the 37 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 72°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. That 47.2 inches is more than at 26 of the 39 New Hampshire stations used on this site (67%). Durham, 3 miles northeast, has its own station (Durham, NH): 45.3 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 81°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Seavey Island, ME, 14 miles east, averaged 64°F in August and 37°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Seavey Island tide gauge, 14 miles from Lee, has risen 0.87 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1926 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 8.7 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 48 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 14 | 3.4 | 6 | 40 |
| Feb | 36 | 16 | 3.5 | 7 | 37 |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 4.6 | 7 | 40 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 4.0 | 8 | 44 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 3.8 | 7 | 52 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 8 | 58 |
| Jul | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 7 | 61 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 6 | 64 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 4.0 | 6 | 62 |
| Oct | 60 | 39 | 4.3 | 7 | 57 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 4.0 | 6 | 50 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 4.4 | 8 | 43 |
| Year | 57 | 36 | 47.2 | 82 | 51 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Durham 2 SSW, NH (63 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Seavey Island, ME, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Lee
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lee: 103 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 floods, 3 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on July 18, 1997.
April 16, 2007: flood 6 miles from the centre of Lee — $1.0 million damage.
February 25, 2010: flood 4 miles from the centre of Lee — $500,000 damage.
March 14, 2010: flood 9 miles from the centre of Lee — $349,000 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
Strafford County, which includes Lee, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 5 hurricanes, 5 snowstorms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Strafford County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, coastal flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.1 million a year, the 6th highest of 10 New Hampshire counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.5 million (71%), 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.