Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY 3.0More hazard damage per building is expected in East Bethlehem Township than in 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Bethlehem Township gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1978.
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 East Bethlehem Township 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 East Bethlehem Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 98% of the building damage FEMA expects in East Bethlehem Township, and East Bethlehem Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of East Bethlehem Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.5M a year in losses across East Bethlehem Township: $1.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does East Bethlehem Township flood? Sometimes: 43 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in East Bethlehem Township, from FEMA’s records: 43.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 91% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
East Bethlehem Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washington County.The storms East Bethlehem Township remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching East Bethlehem Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 199615 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washington County
- 198512 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washington County
- 200010 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Washington County has had 11 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 East Bethlehem Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the East Bethlehem Township archive →East Bethlehem Township and its neighbors
East Bethlehem Township is 5th of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Township | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Morgan Township | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Luzerne Township | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 21 |
| Centerville | C−more damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 32 |
| East Bethlehem Township | Dmore damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | 43 |
| Clarksville | — | 219 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Deemston | — | 672 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Aaronsburg | — | 212 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Millsboro | — | 282 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Fredericktown | — | 488 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 East Bethlehem Township 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 East Bethlehem Township
Is East Bethlehem Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Bethlehem Township has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). 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.
Does East Bethlehem Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 43 claims in East Bethlehem Township since 1978, $963K in all, or 43.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 91% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 6 properties have flooded more than once.
Is East Bethlehem Township 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 Washington County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in East Bethlehem Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for East Bethlehem Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is East Bethlehem Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (98%), and East Bethlehem Township’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in East Bethlehem Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where East Bethlehem Township’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.