Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Bechtelsville
Bechtelsville isn’t graded for hazard risk: Bechtelsville has 914 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2004.
What Bechtelsville 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
Hurricanes
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.
Does Bechtelsville flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bechtelsville, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Isaias3 claims · $20K
- Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $77K
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $12K
Bechtelsville isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Berks County.The storms Bechtelsville remembers
None of the 19 disasters declared for Berks County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Bechtelsville itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20203 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20041 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Berks County
- 20061 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, declared for Berks County
Berks 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.
Old photos of Bechtelsville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bechtelsville archive →Bechtelsville and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colebrookdale Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Washington Township | Bless damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
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 Bechtelsville 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.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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 Bechtelsville
Does Bechtelsville flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Bechtelsville since 2004, $122K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Isaias (3).
Is Bechtelsville 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 Berks County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Bechtelsville?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bechtelsville’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 Bechtelsville?
By flood claims, Hurricane Isaias: 3 paid, $20K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bechtelsville.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bechtelsville’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.