Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in New Bethlehem
New Bethlehem isn’t graded for hazard risk: New Bethlehem has 957 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 84 claims here since 1978.
What New Bethlehem 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.
Does New Bethlehem flood? Sometimes: 84 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in New Bethlehem, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan27 claims · $646K
New Bethlehem isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Clarion County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to New Bethlehem
Disasters that paid out in New Bethlehem itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of New Bethlehem), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan13 households applied for aid$7K aid approved27 flood claims paid for it, $646K
Clarion County has had 11 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of New Bethlehem after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the New Bethlehem archive →New Bethlehem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redbank Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Porter Township | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 88 |
| Mahoning Township | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 17 |
| South Bethlehem | — | 382 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 New Bethlehem 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 New Bethlehem
Does New Bethlehem flood?
Flood insurance has paid 84 claims in New Bethlehem since 1978, $2.1M in all. 8 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (27).
Is New Bethlehem 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 Clarion County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in New Bethlehem?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for New Bethlehem’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 New Bethlehem?
By FEMA money that reached New Bethlehem, Tropical Depression Ivan (2004): 13 households applied for aid, $7K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 27 paid, $646K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Bethlehem.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where New Bethlehem’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.