Photo: Kathy from just livin' in a small town in SW PA, USA · CC BY 2.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in North Bethlehem Township than in 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Bethlehem Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 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 North Bethlehem Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 93% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Bethlehem Township, and North Bethlehem Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
A− lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Bethlehem Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $373K a year in losses across North Bethlehem Township: $341K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Bethlehem Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in North Bethlehem Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
North 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 North Bethlehem Township remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Bethlehem Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
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.
North Bethlehem Township and its neighbors
North Bethlehem Township is 3rd of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Strabane Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Somerset Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| North Bethlehem Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Amwell Township | C+more damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| West Bethlehem Township | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| West Pike Run Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Cokeburg | — | 684 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Beallsville | — | 425 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Deemston | — | 672 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 North 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 North Bethlehem Township
Is North Bethlehem Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Bethlehem Township has lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). 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.
Is North 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 North Bethlehem Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Bethlehem Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is North Bethlehem Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (93%), and North Bethlehem Township’s rate for it is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Bethlehem Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North 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.