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ElimElim · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Bethel · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Bethel

Bethel isn’t graded for hazard risk: Bethel has 126 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
7
of 23 declared for Shelby County
By hazard

What Bethel 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

75%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Earthquakes Winter storms Wildfire Lightning top 3% Ice storms Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves top 4% Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 22% of Bethel’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Bethel flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bethel. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Bethel isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Shelby County.
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bethel

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$8K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
  2. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$12K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
  3. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding$6K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
  4. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$2K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
  5. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$19K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
  6. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding$14K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$6K to the Village of Bethel for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BethelShelby County only

Shelby County has had 23 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Bethel archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Bethel faces

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

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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
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 Bethel

Is Bethel 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 Shelby County, 4% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.0% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Bethel?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bethel’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 Bethel?

By FEMA money that reached Bethel, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2010): $19K to the Village of Bethel for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bethel.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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