NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Walpole, 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
32 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Walpole, New Hampshire since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 28
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Walpole
The strongest storm to pass near Walpole was Carol in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 94 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 23 miles. The record near Walpole begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems. Of the 32 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 142 New Hampshire cities on this site, 61% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Walpole. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 20, 1968, came within 19 miles. Of the 31, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on June 23, 2024. Walpole has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 142 New Hampshire cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Walpole has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 142 New Hampshire cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Walpole
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 23 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 50 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 2 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 33 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 69 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Walpole: 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 Walpole
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s3
- 1980s5
- 1970s2
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 1968 | F3 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 20, 1963 | F3 | 20 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1969 | F2 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 11, 1966 | F2 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 13, 1963 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1962 | F2 | 14 mi | 7.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1962 | F2 | 18 mi | 7.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 1955 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 3.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2023 | EF1 | 13 mi | 12.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Walpole
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Walpole since 1958, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 29, 2012. The most recent report is from August 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Walpole
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Keene, NH, 11 miles southeast of Walpole at 511 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 10°F. October is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 46.3 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (25.9 of 46.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 32 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 73°F and 4.3 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 174 nights a year. Snowfall averages 59.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.3 inches is more than at 21 of the 39 New Hampshire stations used on this site (54%). Bellows Falls, VT, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (N Springfield Lake, VT): 43.9 inches a year, 2.4 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 10 | 3.1 | 7 | 15.2 |
| Feb | 34 | 11 | 2.8 | 6 | 14.4 |
| Mar | 43 | 20 | 3.4 | 7 | 11.0 |
| Apr | 57 | 30 | 3.4 | 7 | 2.2 |
| May | 69 | 41 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 51 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 56 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 54 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 47 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 36 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 47 | 27 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.4 |
| Dec | 36 | 18 | 3.9 | 7 | 14.4 |
| Year | 57 | 33 | 46.3 | 85 | 59.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Keene, NH (511 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 Walpole
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 175 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Walpole: 127 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods and 16 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $12.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on July 6, 1999. July has had the most flash floods, 14 of 32. Of the 141 New Hampshire cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 140 have had fewer than Walpole.
October 9, 2005: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Walpole — 2 killed, $10.0 million damage.
July 29, 2021: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Walpole — 1 injured, $600,000 damage.
July 29, 2021: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Walpole — $1.0 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
Cheshire County, which includes Walpole, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 8 floods, 7 snowstorms, 4 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on September 14, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cheshire County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.3 million a year, the 7th highest of 10 New Hampshire counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.3 million (74%), 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 Walpole
- Putney, VT6 mi
- Bellows Falls, VT6 mi
- Langdon, NH7 mi
- Westmoreland, NH7 mi
- Keene, NH11 mi
- Charlestown, NH12 mi
- Swanzey, NH15 mi
- Springfield, VT16 mi
- Marlborough, NH16 mi
- Chester, VT16 mi
- Brattleboro, VT19 mi
- Hinsdale, NH20 mi
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