Bristol County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Bristol County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.9 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by riverine flooding, strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,151 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.6 | $62M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86.6 | $1.8M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.2 | $558K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.4 | $10M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | $2.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 75.8 | $650K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 67.0 | $2.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 66.4 | $922K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 88.6 | $4.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.0 | $295K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 52.1 | $1.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 43.5 | $55K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 46.4 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 38.2 | $24K |
| Hail | Very Low | 7.2 | $22K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 386 | 0 | $7.3M | 5th of 12 | 32nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 194 | 0 | $55M | 4th of 12 | 202nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 194 | 1 | $950K | 8th of 12 | 1621st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 175 | 1 | $7.5M | 9th of 12 | 731st of 3,077 |
| Hail | 80 | 0 | $9K | 11th of 12 | 2113th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 40 | 0 | $529K | 7th of 12 | 81st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 33 | 0 | $25K | 5th of 12 | 166th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | – | 5th of 12 | 1771st of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 0 | $28M | 7th of 12 | 2038th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 12 | 0 | $7.2M | 6th of 12 | 458th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 10th of 12 | 2015th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 11th of 12 | 2673rd of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | – | 3rd of 12 | 189th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Bristol County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.