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Bettsville State StreetPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Bettsville · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Bettsville

Bettsville isn’t graded for hazard risk: Bettsville has 562 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2008.

Flood claims
2
paid since 2008 · $37K
Disasters paid out here
3
of 10 declared for Seneca County
By hazard

What Bettsville 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

78%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Ice storms Earthquakes Winter storms Hurricanes Lightning Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Bettsville flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2008

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bettsville, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 1 claim2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20082021
20082026
2
paid claims since 2008
$37K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$19K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Seneca County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bettsville

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

  1. 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes15 households applied for aid$51K aid approved
  2. 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$1K to the Village of Bettsville for repairs
  3. 2004Snow$2K to the Village of Bettsville for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BettsvilleSeneca County only

Seneca County has had 10 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 Bettsville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Bettsville archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Bettsville 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 ↗
Hail
  • 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.
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 Bettsville

Does Bettsville flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Bettsville since 2008, $37K in all.

Is Bettsville 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 Seneca County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Bettsville?

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

By FEMA money that reached Bettsville, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2007): 15 households applied for aid, $51K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bettsville.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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