NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth, New Hampshire since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 19 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 33
- Tornadoes
- 19
- 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 Portsmouth
The strongest storm to pass near Portsmouth was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1869, whose centre came within 9 miles. The record near Portsmouth begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 44 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems. Of the 39 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Portsmouth has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 72% of the 142 New Hampshire cities on this site. The strongest of the 19 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 9, 1953; its path came within 12 miles. Of the 19, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on September 29, 2006. Of the 142 New Hampshire cities, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Portsmouth. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1963, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Portsmouth has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 142 New Hampshire cities.
Compare Portsmouth's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Portsmouth
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 28 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 49 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | EstherSep 26 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 31 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 72 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 27 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 4 | 29 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 9 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Portsmouth: 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 Portsmouth
By decade
- 2000s2
- 1990s1
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s4
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1953 | F3 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 21, 2006 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 22, 1981 | F2 | 24 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 1976 | F2 | 6 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 10, 1966 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 14, 1963 | F2 | 14 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 1957 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 21, 1956 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F2 | 23 mi | 9.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 2006 | F1 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 13, 1976 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 19, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Portsmouth
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Portsmouth since 1963, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 31 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 August 4, 2015. The most recent report is from May 3, 2025. July has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Portsmouth
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Greenland, NH, 4 miles southwest of Portsmouth at 95 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 16°F. October is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 50.9 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 50.9 inches). September has brought the most of the 39 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 72°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 143 nights a year. Snowfall averages 65.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.9 inches is more than at 36 of the 39 New Hampshire stations used on this site (92%). Eliot, ME, 5 miles north, has its own station (Durham 2 N, NH): 48.0 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and the same July average high, 81°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Seavey Island, ME, 2 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, 2 miles from Portsmouth, 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" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 3.6 | 7 | 17.1 | 40 |
| Feb | 36 | 18 | 3.6 | 6 | 15.8 | 37 |
| Mar | 43 | 25 | 4.8 | 8 | 13.9 | 40 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 8 | 2.3 | 44 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 | 52 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 | 58 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 | 61 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 | 64 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 | 62 |
| Oct | 60 | 41 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.1 | 57 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.6 | 50 |
| Dec | 38 | 22 | 4.9 | 8 | 14.2 | 43 |
| Year | 57 | 38 | 50.9 | 84 | 65.0 | 51 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Greenland, NH (95 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 Portsmouth
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 110 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Portsmouth: 88 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods, 4 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $8.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 24, 2010.
February 25, 2010: flood 3 miles from the centre of Portsmouth — $4.2 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain of 5 to 8 inches resulted in county wide fllooding of small rivers and streams in Rockingham County. This was the hardest hit area in New Hampshire with damages totaling over 4 million dollars.”
July 15, 2014: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Portsmouth — $1.4 million damage.
March 14, 2010: flood 2 miles from the centre of Portsmouth — $1.2 million 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Portsmouth's ZIP code 03801 have filed 39 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $485,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 23% 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, 38 have fewer than Portsmouth.
Rockingham County, which includes Portsmouth, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 6 snowstorms, 5 floods, 5 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Flooding, on July 10, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Rockingham County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for coastal flooding; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $89.8 million a year, the 2nd highest of 10 New Hampshire counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $54.0 million (60%), 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.