Photo: Chris Light Original uploader was Chris Light at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Bryan faces less hazard damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bryan gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns, #328 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%), then tornadoes (24%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1980.
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 stands out about Bryan’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Bryan 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
Tornadoes
Hail
Strong wind
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 Bryan’s grade
River and rain flooding is 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in Bryan, and Bryan’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 24%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
A #328 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Bryan’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Ohio town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Bryan has less expected damage per building than 67% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.6M a year in losses across Bryan: $1.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Bryan flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bryan, from FEMA’s records: 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 70% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Bryan isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Williams County.The storms Bryan remembers
None of the 5 disasters declared for Williams County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Bryan itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19982 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19801 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19961 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Williams County
Williams County has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Bryan after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bryan archive →Bryan and its neighbors
Bryan has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Center Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Pulaski Township | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Bryan 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Bryan
Is Bryan at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bryan has lower expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk, #328 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%) and tornadoes (24%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Bryan flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Bryan since 1980, $603K in all, or 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 70% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Bryan 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 Williams County, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Bryan?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bryan’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Bryan at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and Bryan’s rate for it is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bryan.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bryan’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.