Natural hazards · Bartow

Bartow, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bartow comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1995. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Bartow?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bartow to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes44%Inland flooding29%Strong wind12%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Bartow faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Bartow flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bartow, from FEMA’s records.

5paid claims since 1995

$232Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Frances: 2 claims, $85K
Hurricane Ian: 2 claims, $145K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Bartow isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

18flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

6buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Bartow

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bartow itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Bartow.

Brought FEMA money into BartowDeclared for Polk County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

3,315 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $2.7M to the City of Bartow for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

3,393 households applied for aid $2.9M aid approved $4.7M to the City of Bartow for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

5,266 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved $4.2M to the City of Bartow for repairs

2012

Tropical Storm Debby

12 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

2008

Tropical Storm Fay

2 households applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Wilma

$15K to the City of Bartow for repairs

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

1,806 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved $751K to the City of Bartow for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

27 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Frances

817 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $491K to the City of Bartow for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

1,877 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $1.3M to the City of Bartow for repairs

Polk County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Bartow covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bartow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bartow. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Bartow total about $7.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.