Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in South Hooksett
South Hooksett isn’t graded for hazard risk: South Hooksett is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2007.
What South Hooksett faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does South Hooksett flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 2007
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Hooksett, from FEMA’s records.
- The March 2010 nor’easter2 claims · $108K
South Hooksett isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Merrimack County.The storms South Hooksett remembers
None of the 24 disasters declared for Merrimack County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching South Hooksett itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20083 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm, declared for Merrimack County
- 20103 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm, declared for Merrimack County
- 20072 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Merrimack County
Merrimack County has had 24 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of South Hooksett after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the South Hooksett archive →South Hooksett and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hooksett | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 21 |
| Auburn | Bless damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Manchester | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 41 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what South Hooksett faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in South Hooksett
Does South Hooksett flood?
Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in South Hooksett since 2007, $990K in all. The most claims came from March 2010 Nor'easter (2).
Is South Hooksett in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Merrimack County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in South Hooksett?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Hooksett’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in South Hooksett?
By flood claims, March 2010 Nor'easter: 2 paid, $108K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Hooksett.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South Hooksett’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.