Community preparedness — New Hampshire
Nor'easters, ice storms, blizzards, flooding, and the most extreme mountain weather in the Northeast. UNH Extension in all 10 counties. CERT teams across 221 towns. Ham operators who keep communities connected when winter makes everything else fail.
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Community calendar
CERT trainings, canning workshops, ham radio exams, garden workdays, first aid classes.
10
County extension offices
3
NWS forecast offices
15+
Amateur radio clubs
7
Community colleges
Where to plug in
New Hampshire is a state of extremes: the seacoast, Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley, and the White Mountains each face distinct hazards. Nor'easters, ice storms, flooding, and the most extreme mountain weather in the Northeast. Strong local government — 221 cities and towns each with their own emergency management — means preparedness runs close to home.
UNH Cooperative Extension operates offices in all 10 New Hampshire counties. Programming spans agriculture, horticulture, food safety, nutrition, financial literacy, 4-H youth development, natural resources, and community development. New Hampshire's small farms, orchards, and forest industry are supported through county extension offices across the state.
The Master Gardener Volunteer program trains gardeners for New Hampshire's short but productive growing season. Extension runs food preservation workshops, forest stewardship education, and town-level community development programming. The Family and Consumer Resources program provides practical skills from canning to financial literacy across all 10 counties.
The NH Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NHDHSEM) coordinates the state's all-hazards emergency program through county and local emergency management directors. NH's strong home-rule tradition means each of 221 cities and towns has its own EM director and plan.
CERT programs are active across New Hampshire. Hillsborough County (Manchester/Nashua), Merrimack County (Concord), Rockingham County, and many municipalities run programs. After the Ice Storm of 1998 left Coos and Grafton counties without power for up to three weeks, community preparedness investment grew significantly. Training is free.
The American Red Cross Northern New England Region serves New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. First aid, CPR, AED, and water safety classes are offered in Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, Nashua, and other communities year-round.
Red Cross opens warming shelters during ice storms, nor'easters, and extended power outages. NH's Red Cross volunteers are experienced with winter-specific disasters — heating failures, carbon monoxide poisoning from improper generator use, and the health risks of extended cold exposure. Volunteer entry points include shelter operations, disaster assessment, and blood drives.
New Hampshire has over 15 amateur radio clubs in the ARRL New Hampshire Section. Mount Washington — with some of the world's most extreme weather — has a ham radio repeater providing communications across the White Mountains. ARES teams provide backup communications during ice storms, nor'easters, and flooding.
Getting licensed costs $15 for the exam and about $35 for a basic handheld radio. Study at hamstudy.org. Clubs in Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, Nashua, and Keene host exams regularly.
Three NWS offices serve New Hampshire: Gray/Portland (southern NH), Burlington VT (northern NH and the White Mountains), and Boston (the seacoast). Each runs SKYWARN spotter training. Mount Washington Observatory provides continuous professional weather observation supporting NWS forecasting across the region.
NH's weather hazards include nor'easters, ice storms, blizzards, severe thunderstorms, tropical remnants, and extreme alpine weather. Mount Washington held the world wind speed record (231 mph) for decades. Trained spotters in NH's varied terrain fill critical gaps. Training is free.
New Hampshire has over 200 public library locations overseen by the NH State Library. Manchester City Library, Concord Public Library, and Portsmouth Public Library anchor strong systems. NH's town library tradition means even small communities have well-maintained branches that serve as warming centers and community hubs during winter emergencies.
The Community College System of NH operates 7 colleges across the state, offering EMT certification, fire science, welding, automotive technology, and healthcare programs. Campuses in Concord, Manchester, Laconia, Nashua, Claremont, Berlin, and Stratham serve every region.
Why this matters
In January 1998, a catastrophic ice storm struck New Hampshire harder than anywhere else in New England. Over four days, freezing rain coated everything in inches of ice. Transmission towers crumbled. Power lines collapsed across entire counties. In Coos and Grafton counties — the North Country — some communities lost electricity for two to three weeks, in January, with temperatures well below zero.
In communities like Lancaster, Littleton, Whitefield, and Berlin, neighbors organized for survival. Residents with wood stoves became neighborhood warming centers. Volunteer fire departments cleared ice-covered roads. Ham radio operators provided the only communications in areas where every other system was down. Farmers with generators shared power with nearby homes.
Red Cross opened warming shelters across northern NH. Extension agents helped agricultural producers deal with damaged infrastructure. Churches opened as supply distribution points. The experience permanently shaped how New Hampshire's North Country thinks about winter preparedness.
NH's strong town-meeting tradition means that when disaster strikes, the response is organized at the most local level possible — the town, the neighborhood, the street. The organizations on this page build that capacity across all 221 cities and towns.
The foundation
Community resilience begins with a household that can take care of itself. Cover the first 72 hours, then extend outward to your street, your neighborhood, your town.
Start with the first 72 hours