New Hampshire: The Storm-Ready Checklist

Shelter & mitigation money

No dedicated state-run storm-shelter rebate or grant program is listed for New Hampshire in the mitigation data reviewed for this page. Check with the state emergency management agency below for anything new.

NAIC's June 2025 hurricane-deductible list does not name New Hampshire; NAIC notes other states may still allow insurers to include one, and a separate wind/hail deductible can appear in any state's policy regardless (content.naic.org/insurance-topics/hurricane-deductibles).

Who to call, before and after

The hazards New Hampshire actually faces

• Hail and derecho

  Peak season: Jul–Nov

  Hail and derecho winds arrive inside the same thunderstorm complex, often with less lead time than a tornado warning because the threat is the whole storm line, not a single funnel. Large hail totals more property-damage claims nationally than any other severe-storm hazard, and derecho wind gusts can match hurricane-force winds hundreds of miles from open water. Vehicles under cover and loose yard items secured before the line arrives are the cheap fix.

• Blizzard and ice storm

  Peak season: Jun–Jan

  Ice storms cause more prolonged power outages than almost any other winter hazard, because ice loads snap tree limbs and power lines that snow alone would not touch — outages can run days in rural areas. Blizzards add near-zero visibility and windchill to the mix. A household's real blizzard plan is a heat source that doesn't depend on grid power and a stocked pantry that doesn't need refrigeration.

• Hurricane and storm surge

  Peak season: Aug

  Storm surge, not wind, is the deadliest part of a hurricane for most coastal households — it can arrive hours before landfall and reach well inland of any beachfront. Evacuation zones are set by surge modeling, not by category number, which is why a weaker storm on a bad track can flood a zone a stronger storm on a better track never touches. Knowing your zone before the season, not during the warning, is the single highest-leverage step.

Rules worth knowing

• Emergency prescription refills: Only a 72-hour supply, triggered when a natural or man-made disaster itself prevents the pharmacist from contacting the prescriber (Admin. Code Ph 703.10 / RSA 318:47-f) — New Hampshire does not extend this to 30 days the way most PHE-specific states do.

Frequently asked