On FEMA’s figures, Bel-Nor faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, led by earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bel-Nor gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (44%), then river and rain flooding (36%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Bel-Nor faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
Hail
Tornadoes
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 Bel-Nor’s grade
Earthquakes are 44% of the building damage FEMA expects in Bel-Nor, and Bel-Nor’s rate of earthquakes damage is higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 13%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
B− lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Bel-Nor’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Bel-Nor: $353K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Bel-Nor flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bel-Nor. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Bel-Nor isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Louis County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bel-Nor
Disasters that paid out in Bel-Nor itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Bel-Nor), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Storms and Flooding2 households applied for aid$300 aid approved
- 2006Severe Winter Storms$11K to the Village of Bel-Nor for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms$11K to the Village of Bel-Nor for repairs
St. Louis County has had 30 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 Bel-Nor after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bel-Nor archive →Bel-Nor and its neighbors
Bel-Nor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bel-Nor | B−less damage than 54% | earthquakes | 0 |
| Normandy | B−less damage than 50% | earthquakes | 1 |
| Bel-Ridge | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Bellerive Acres | — | 288 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Greendale | — | 794 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Bel-Nor faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Bel-Nor
Is Bel-Nor at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bel-Nor has lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (44%) and river and rain flooding (36%). 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.
Is Bel-Nor 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 St. Louis County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Bel-Nor?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bel-Nor’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 Bel-Nor?
By FEMA money that reached Bel-Nor, Severe Storms (2006): $11K to the Village of Bel-Nor for repairs.
Is Bel-Nor at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (44%), and Bel-Nor’s rate for it is higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bel-Nor.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bel-Nor’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.