Rail and Titsworth Canal Warehouse · Photo: eyesofibad · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Belfast’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 87% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Belfast gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). 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 Belfast 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
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 Belfast’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in Belfast, and Belfast’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Belfast’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Belfast: $934K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Belfast flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Belfast. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Belfast isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Allegany County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Belfast
Disasters that paid out in Belfast itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Belfast), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms and Flooding$29K to the Town of Belfast for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds$105K to the Town of Belfast for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding$40K to the Town of Belfast for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes3 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$221K to the Town of Belfast for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$11K to the Town of Belfast for repairs
Allegany County has had 19 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; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Belfast after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Belfast archive →Belfast and its neighbors
Belfast is 2nd of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caneadea | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Belfast | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Friendship | Dmore damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Angelica | Dmore damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| New Hudson | — | 995 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 Belfast 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.
- 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 Belfast
Is Belfast at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Belfast has higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Belfast 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 Allegany County, 0.9% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Belfast?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Belfast’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 Belfast?
By FEMA money that reached Belfast, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2003): 3 households applied for aid, $1K approved, and $221K to the Town of Belfast for repairs.
Is Belfast at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and Belfast’s rate for it is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Belfast.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Belfast’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.