Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH
Earthquakes
An earthquake is caused when the Earth’s crust, composed of a dozen or more rigid plates, bump against one
another. Most earthquakes are the result of strain release along zones of weakness (faults) in response to the
slow motion of those crustal plates.
Damage from an earthquake's impact can be as small as a slight shift or vibration or as serious as sustaining
structural and critical infrastructure damage and/or collapse on a severe scale, including damage to energy
pipelines in the area.
Nashua has a low earthquake risk, with a total of 30 earthquakes since 1931. The USGS database shows a
2.38% chance of a major earthquake within 5okm of Nashua, NH, within the next 50 years. The following
figure illustrates magnitude 3 and greater that have affected New Hampshire during the last 50 years.
Figure 17. Magnitude 3+ Earthquakes’
4 9 4.8 magnitude, 12 km depth
Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada
ago 4.5 magnitude, & km depth
, New Hampshire, United States
3 9 3.9 magnitude, 5 km depth
Northfield, New Hampshire, United States
2 9 3.9 magnitude, 5 km depth
Milan, New Hampshire, United States
9 3.3 magnitude, 5 km depth
ew Hampshire, United States
p# years agg 3.3 magnitude, 10 km depth
Deerfield, New Hampshire, United States
3 9 3.8 magnitude, 5 km depth
Canton, Maine, United States
9 3.7 magnitude, 10 km depth
assachusetts, United States
9 32 years a
Hardwick,
Extreme Temperatures
A heatwave is a prolonged period of excessive heat, often combined with excessive humidity. Extreme heat,
when temperatures hover 10 degrees or more above the average high temperatures for the region, can be
potentially lethal and last for several weeks. A heatwave combined with drought can be a very dangerous
situation.
7 Earthquaketrack.com.
ESC Emergency Services 4
Consulting International 9
