The tornado that swept an almost 50-mile path from Northwood to Effingham on July 24 took one life, damaged or destroyed several homes and uprooted or damaged about 8,500 acres of timber spanning Merrimack, Belknap, Carroll, Rockingham and Strafford Counties.

With communities needing reliable information following the event, the Forestry and Wildlife program team organized quickly and worked closely with the Division of Forests and Lands and other state agencies. Karen Bennett, Forest Resource Specialist, acted as the main liaison with the state, communicating with the Division of Forests and Lands and other agencies to organize a response.

Staff set up a storm damage web page almost immediately. The page was updated several times a day following the storm. Sarah Smith, Industry Specialist, communicated with sawmills and loggers to find out how markets might be affected. County Forest Resources educators went door-to-door, answering questions about debris cleanup.

Extension organized five meetings throughout the storm affected areas to bring community members together in one place, disseminate information and answer questions. County Forest Resources educators answered natural resource questions, as did state officials from the Division of Forests and Lands, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Department of Revenue, and the NH Insurance Department. Over 213 people attended these meetings.

County Forest Resources educators remained on call over two weekends to answer landowner questions and make site visits. The staff had answered 86 calls at the time of this article, more than half of which came in following the community meetings.

The weeks following the tornado were and continue to be challenging for the communities and landowners affected. UNH Cooperative Extension’s Forestry and Wildlife Program staff response demonstrated that flexibility, organization, and strong communication are essential in getting critical information to the citizens of New Hampshire.