FEMA puts West Bishop’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 89% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Bishop gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 89% of U.S. towns, #307 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%), then earthquakes (47%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2012.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What West Bishop faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind West Bishop’s grade
River and rain flooding is 50% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Bishop, and West Bishop’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 47%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
D #307 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 89% of U.S. towns (21,298).
West Bishop’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical California town has higher expected damage than 92% of U.S. towns; within the state, West Bishop has less expected damage per building than 64% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.0M a year in losses across West Bishop: $1.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Bishop flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2012
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Bishop, from FEMA’s records: 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 80% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
West Bishop isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Inyo County.The storms West Bishop remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Inyo County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Bishop itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20121 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Inyo County has had 11 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Inyo County, 2007–2007.
Old photos of West Bishop after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Bishop archive →West Bishop and its neighbors
West Bishop has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bishop | Dmore damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Bishop | Dmore damage than 91% | earthquakes | 2 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what West Bishop faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in West Bishop
Is West Bishop at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Bishop has higher expected damage per building than 89% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #307 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%) and earthquakes (47%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does West Bishop flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in West Bishop since 2012, $4K in all, or 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 80% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is West Bishop in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Inyo County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Bishop?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Bishop’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is West Bishop at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (50%), and West Bishop’s rate for it is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Bishop.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Bishop’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.