Damaging Wind in New Hampshire, July 15, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind in New Hampshire, July 15, 2002
Start: 2002-07-15T15:25
End: 2002-07-15T15:25
Location: New Hampshire

July 15, 2002 · NWS BOX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Severe thunderstorms downed several large trees on Route 9 in Hillsborough.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms downed several large trees on Route 9 in Hillsborough.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 15, 1:26 PM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 1:26 PM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 15, 11:04 AM EST, 4 hours 21 minutes before

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-NHZ011-012-RIZ001>007-152145-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1204 PM EDT MON JUL 15 2002

...ISOLATED OR SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST IN
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND MID AFTERNOON TIL ABOUT SUNSET...

POTENT THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS FROM MANCHESTER TO
WORCESTER...BOSTON AND BROCKTON...AND MORE SCATTERED IN NATURE
ACROSS NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND.

THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR ANY THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS BETWEEN 2 AND 4
PM...THEN BETWEEN 330 AND 6 PM FROM HARTFORD TO WORCESTER AND
BOSTON...AND FINALLY...BETWEEN 430 PM AND 730 PM FROM PROVIDENCE TO
PLYMOUTH AND CAPE COD.

MARINERS IN PARTICULAR...SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POCKETS OF WIND GUSTS
EASILY IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS IN THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL
WATERS INCLUDING CAPE COD BAY BETWEEN 330 PM AND 7 PM AND FROM
NARRAGANSETT BAY TO SOUTH COASTAL SECTIONS OF RHODE ISLAND AND
MASSACHUSETTS...INCLUDING BUZZARDS BAY BETWEEN 430 AND 730 PM.

THE CAUSE OF THE AFTERNOON STORMS IS A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE
ACROSS NEW ENGLAND...REACHING THE SOUTH COAST AFTER SUNSET.

LINES OF SCATTERED SHOWERS IN EASTERN NEW YORK STATE DURING MIDDAY
WILL PROBABLY ORGANIZE AND STRENGTHEN INTO A LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS
AND POTENT THUNDERSTORMS DURING MID AFTERNOON...AS THEY MOVE EAST
SOUTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MPH INTO THE NEAR 90 DEGREE HEAT OCCURRING IN
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.

AMATEUR RADIO AND OTHER SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO CLOSELY MONITOR
THIS SITUATION.  SKYWARN ACTIVIATION MAY BE REQUIRED AFTER 2 PM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON
THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:55 PM EST, 30 minutes before

NHZ012-152200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
355 PM EDT MON JUL 15 2002

AT 345 PM RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN
SULLIVAN COUNTY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.  THIS STORM WILL MOVE TOWARD THE
EAST-SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH.  IT WILL PASS ACROSS THE NORTHERN
PART OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BETWEEN 400 PM AND 520 PM.  IT MAY
PRODUCE WINDS OF 40 MPH...PEA SIZE HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 149 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hillsborough

When: July 15, 3:25 PM EST
Where: Hillsborough County, Hillsboro Center
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 43.150, -71.950

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Hampshire in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in New Hampshire, July 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5306625.