Natural hazards · Bristol

Bristol, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bristol comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bristol?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bristol to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Earthquakes6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Bristol faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bristol flood?

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

49paid claims since 1978

$5.0Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 10 claims, $1.8M
Hurricane Irene: 8 claims, $1.1M
Hurricane Ida: 2 claims, $11K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bucks County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Bristol

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BristolDeclared for Bucks County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

144 households applied for aid $150K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

32 households applied for aid $63K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

191 households applied for aid $328K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

2 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

Bucks County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Bristol

Bristol and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Burlingtonmostly inland floodingVery high

Bristolmostly inland floodingHigh

Burlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Bristolmostly 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. Bristol covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bristol’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Bristol. 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 Bristol total about $5.6M 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.