Bristol, MA
Bristol County in Massachusetts has 12 FEMA disaster declarations on record covering 1978–2024, most recently Severe Storms and Flooding on May 15, 2024 (DR-4780). Its flood risk grade is B (Moderate risk), ranking #125 of 3,277 U.S. counties, with 26 NFIP flood insurance claims totaling $331,642 in payouts. Flood risk is relatively low compared to the national average.
FEMA Disaster Declarations in Bristol County
The 12 most recent federally declared disasters affecting Bristol County, MA (1978–2024). Total declarations on record: 12.
| Declared | Incident Type | Title | FEMA Disaster # |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding | DR-4780 |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee | DR-3599 |
| Dec 19, 2012 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | DR-4097 |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | DR-3350 |
| Sep 3, 2011 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene | DR-4028 |
| Aug 26, 2011 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | DR-3330 |
| Sep 2, 2010 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl | DR-3315 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | DR-3252 |
| Jun 23, 1998 | Flood | Heavy Rains and Flooding | DR-1224 |
| Aug 26, 1991 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob | DR-914 |
| Oct 28, 1985 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria | DR-751 |
| Feb 10, 1978 | Flood | Coastal Storms, Flood, Ice & Snow | DR-546 |
Score Breakdown
The composite score of 22 is calculated from four weighted factors. See our methodology for details.
Other Counties in Massachusetts
| County | Grade | Score | Claims | Disasters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | A | 17 | 32 | 13 |
| Worcester | A | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| Dukes | A | 14 | 8 | 12 |
| Hampden | A | 14 | 5 | 8 |
| Barnstable | A | 12 | 98 | 13 |
| Essex | A | 12 | 121 | 16 |
More Counties in Massachusetts
Frequently Asked Questions
How many FEMA disaster declarations does Bristol County, MA have?
Bristol County, MA has 12 federal disaster declarations on FEMA record (1978–2024). The 5 most recent are: Severe Storms and Flooding (declared May 15, 2024, DR-4780); Hurricane Lee (declared Sep 15, 2023, DR-3599); Hurricane Sandy (declared Dec 19, 2012, DR-4097); Hurricane Sandy (declared Oct 28, 2012, DR-3350); Tropical Storm Irene (declared Sep 3, 2011, DR-4028). Counts include flood, severe storm, hurricane, and coastal storm declarations from the OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries dataset.
What is the flood risk grade for Bristol County, MA?
Bristol County is graded B (composite score 22/100, moderate risk). It ranks #125 of 3,277 U.S. counties for flood risk in our scoring model. The grade combines NFIP claims density (40%), disaster frequency (25%), claim severity (20%), and year-over-year trend (15%).
How many NFIP flood insurance claims have been filed in Bristol County?
26 NFIP flood insurance claims have been filed in Bristol County, MA, totaling $331,642 in payouts. The average claim is $12,755. Source: FEMA FimaNfipClaims v2 dataset.
Has Bristol County, MA had any recent flood disasters?
Yes. The most recent FEMA declaration affecting Bristol County was Severe Storms and Flooding on May 15, 2024 (DR-4780). The county has 12 declared disasters in the OpenFEMA record covering 1978–2024.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from FEMA OpenFEMA datasets including the National Flood Hazard Layer and NFIP claims. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the FEMA OpenFEMA datasets including the National Flood Hazard Layer and NFIP claims portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. ZIPs, counties, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA datasets, 2026.