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B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in South Bristol · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, South Bristol faces less hazard damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns, led by hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Bristol gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (37%), then river and rain flooding (30%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1978.

Hurricanes 37%River and rain flooding 30%Coastal flooding 12%

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

less than 69%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B+
in Maine · lower than 69% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
37% of expected building damage
Flood claims
6
paid since 1978 · $165K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
4
of 24 declared for Lincoln County

What stands out about South Bristol’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Lower expected damage than 69% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.Coastal flooding: the top 2% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for coastal flooding here ranks in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts; it is 12.1% of the damage it expects.
By hazard

What South Bristol faces

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

Hurricanes

37%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

River and rain flooding

30%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 97% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Coastal flooding

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

Ice storms

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Winter storms top 2% Lightning top 0% Hail Tornadoes Wildfire Strong wind Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind South Bristol’s grade

Hurricanes are 37% of the building damage FEMA expects in South Bristol, and South Bristol’s rate of hurricanes damage is higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 12%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where South Bristol sits
South Bristol
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ lower expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of South Bristol’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes37%River and rain flooding30%Coastal flooding12%Everything else21%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $228K a year in losses across South Bristol: $189K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of South Bristol’s 1,127 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does South Bristol flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Bristol, from FEMA’s records: 5.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 2 claims1979: 0 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 1 claim1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 3 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197819922024
19782026
6
paid claims since 1978
$165K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$27K
average claim
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

South 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: Lincoln County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to South Bristol

Disasters that paid out in South Bristol itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of South Bristol), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2024Severe Storms and Flooding8 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$254K to the Town of South Bristol for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2010Severe Winter Storm$12K to the Town of South Bristol for repairs
  3. 2007Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding2 households applied for aid$40K to the Town of South Bristol for repairs
  4. 2007Flooding$953 to the Town of South Bristol for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in South BristolLincoln County only

Lincoln County has had 24 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of South Bristol after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the South Bristol archive →
Next door

South Bristol and its neighbors

South Bristol is 2nd of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Boothbay: hazard risk B+Bristol: hazard risk BEdgecomb: hazard risk B−Newcastle: hazard risk B−BoothbayBristolEdgecombNewcastleSouth Bristol
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
BoothbayB+less damage than 71%hurricanes20
South BristolB+less damage than 69%hurricanes6
BristolBless damage than 61%river and rain flooding22
EdgecombB−less damage than 53%river and rain flooding—
NewcastleB−less damage than 53%river and rain flooding1

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what South Bristol faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the tide surges
  • Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
  • Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
  • Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Ice storms
  • Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
  • Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
  • Keep sand or salt by the door.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in South Bristol

Is South Bristol at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Bristol has lower expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (37%) and river and rain flooding (30%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does South Bristol flood?

Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in South Bristol since 1978, $165K in all, or 5.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.

Is South Bristol 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 Lincoln County, 40% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in South Bristol?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Bristol’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in South Bristol?

By FEMA money that reached South Bristol, Severe Storms and Flooding (2024): 8 households applied for aid, $2K approved, and $254K to the Town of South Bristol for repairs.

Is South Bristol at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (37%), and South Bristol’s rate for it is higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Bristol.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South Bristol’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.