Bristol County Disaster Risk

Bristol County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 19th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Bristol County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (74th percentile), flooding (66th percentile), earthquake (51th percentile), tornado (13th percentile), wildfire (4th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 74th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Bristol County's composite risk percentile is 19th, compared to the Rhode Island state average of 57th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Bristol County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Rhode Island.

Yes, Bristol County's hurricane risk is at the 74th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Bristol County is at the 66th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Bristol County's composite risk score of 19th percentile is below the Rhode Island state average of 57th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 74th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.