Big Storms in Northern New Hampshire: A Super Simple Story

What Happened on Tuesday?

On Tuesday, big and possibly dangerous weather (we call that severe weather) was expected in the northern part of a state called New Hampshire. A local TV news group called News 9 sent out a team to follow the skies and tell everyone what they saw.

The Storm Tracker Crew Watches the Sky

News 9 has a weather team named Storm Watch 9. They drive a special car called the Storm Tracker. Here is what they noticed:

• In a small place called Columbia, early on Tuesday evening:
  • Heavy rain (like a giant shower from the sky)
  • Flashes of lightning (bright light in the clouds)
  • Sounds of hail (tiny hard balls of ice) hitting the roof of their Storm Tracker car.
• In a town named Lancaster, they saw:
  • Dark, heavy clouds (like big gray pillows)
  • This was just before a severe thunderstorm watch was announced. That’s a grown-up way of saying, “Big thunder and lightning might come, so be ready!”

The Weather Takes a Nap

As the night got later, the noisy weather in Lancaster became peaceful. Around 10 p.m. (that’s late, around bedtime), the rain, thunder, and lightning that had been there calmed down.

Storm Chasers Come to Help

Because the weather system could bring scary things like strong winds and even tornadoes (giant spinning wind funnels), some people called storm chasers traveled to northern New Hampshire. New Hampshire is also nicknamed the Granite State because it has lots of a hard rock called granite.

Storm chasers are people who follow storms to see them up close. They were ready to:

• Tell others what they saw.
• Give first aid (help for hurts) if someone got injured.

Two chasers shared their thoughts:

• Henry Swenson (from Massachusetts) said: "I definitely knew that today was going to be like a legitimate threat." (He meant the storm was truly dangerous.)
• Griffin Klien (from Maine) said: "Right now, I have a chainsaw and a first aid kit with me for this, but I usually carry the chainsaw at all times, but I usually bulk up my med kit for chases because you never know what you’re going to see."
  • A chainsaw is a tool that cuts through wood like tree branches.
  • A first aid kit is a box with supplies to fix small injuries.

Important Callout: Storm chasers brought chainsaws and medical kits because storms can drop trees and hurt people. They want to be ready to rescue and help!

Jefferson Gets the Rain Too

In a town called Jefferson, there was:

• Heavy rain
• Lightning strikes (more bright sky flashes)

The storm moved toward the south (like walking down the map). Sometimes it was hard to see far away because the rain and wind were so strong.

(The original report says you can see video of Jefferson and nearby areas in the video player below their story.)

How to Stay Weather-Safe (Easy Steps)

The news team wants you and your family to be prepared! Follow these simple numbered steps:

1. Download the WMUR app (WMUR is the local news station) on your phone.
2. Turn on push notifications (those are pop-up messages that ping your phone).
3. Choose your alerts: You can pick weather warnings for your phone’s location (where you are) and up to three ZIP codes (number tags for towns).
4. You can also get a message when precipitation (that’s just rain or snow) is coming to your area.
5. Get the free Very Local app on your smart TV to watch storm news from home.
6. Follow the Storm Watch 9 team on social media for more updates.

Be weather aware! That means always listen when your phone or TV says a storm is near.

Summary

On Tuesday, northern New Hampshire saw rough weather with rain, lightning, and hail. News 9’s Storm Tracker watched it in Columbia and Lancaster, where it calmed by 10 p.m. Storm chasers from nearby states came with chainsaws and first aid kits to help if needed. Jefferson also got heavy rain and lightning as the storm moved south. You can stay safe by downloading the WMUR and Very Local apps and paying attention to alerts.

FAQ (Questions You Might Ask)

Q1: What is a “severe thunderstorm watch”?
A: It’s a heads-up from weather experts that big storms with loud thunder, lightning, and maybe hail could happen soon. It means “be prepared.”

Q2: Why is New Hampshire called the Granite State?
A: Because the land there has a lot of granite, which is a tough, speckled rock often used to build things.

Q3: What does a storm chaser do?
A: A storm chaser is a person who drives toward storms to watch them, share pictures, and sometimes help people who get hurt.

Q4: Why did Griffin carry a chainsaw all the time?
A: Storms can blow down trees that block roads or fall on houses. A chainsaw helps cut those trees so people can be safe.

Q5: How do I get weather alerts for my town?
A: Download the WMUR app, turn on notifications, and enter your location or ZIP code. Your phone will then tell you when bad weather is coming.