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Natural hazards · Bridgewater

Bridgewater, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bridgewater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1986. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bridgewater?

79
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bridgewater to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Bridgewater faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bridgewater flood?

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

3paid claims since 1986
$18Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19862026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Bridgewater isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Grafton County.
Disasters that hit Bridgewater

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BridgewaterDeclared for Grafton County only
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$7K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$6K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs
2003

Snow

$6K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs
2001

Snow

$6K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs
Grafton County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Bridgewater

Bridgewater and the towns around it

Bristol: High, mostly inland floodingNew Hampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAshland: Very high, mostly inland floodingPlymouth: High, mostly inland floodingHill: Very high, mostly inland floodingAlexandria: Very high, mostly inland floodingCenter Harbor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMeredith: Low, mostly inland floodingSanbornton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHolderness: High, mostly inland floodingCampton: Very high, mostly inland floodingRumney: High, mostly inland floodingGroton: Very high, mostly inland floodingHebron: Very high, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: High, mostly inland flooding BridgewaterBristolNew HamptonAshlandPlymouth
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Ashlandmostly inland floodingVery high
Bridgewatermostly inland floodingHigh
Bristolmostly inland floodingHigh
Plymouthmostly inland floodingHigh
New Hamptonmostly inland floodingModerate
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. Bridgewater covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bridgewater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bridgewater. 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 Bridgewater total about $972K 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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