On FEMA’s figures, North Belle Vernon faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Belle Vernon gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 North Belle Vernon 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 North Belle Vernon’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Belle Vernon, and North Belle Vernon’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Belle Vernon’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $509K a year in losses across North Belle Vernon: $480K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Belle Vernon flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Belle Vernon, from FEMA’s records: 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 77% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
North Belle Vernon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Westmoreland County.The storms North Belle Vernon remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for Westmoreland County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Belle Vernon itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19781 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Westmoreland County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of North Belle Vernon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Belle Vernon archive →North Belle Vernon and its neighbors
North Belle Vernon is 2nd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rostraver Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 43 |
| North Belle Vernon | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Washington Township | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 140 |
| Belle Vernon | — | 923 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Lynnwood-Pricedale | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 North Belle Vernon 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 North Belle Vernon
Is North Belle Vernon at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Belle Vernon has higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). 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 North Belle Vernon flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in North Belle Vernon since 1978, $142 in all, or 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 77% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is North Belle Vernon 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 Westmoreland County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Belle Vernon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Belle Vernon’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is North Belle Vernon at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and North Belle Vernon’s rate for it is higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Belle Vernon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Belle Vernon’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.