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Natural hazards · Bella Vista

Bella Vista, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bella Vista comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2013. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Bella Vista?

46
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bella Vista to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding55%Ice storms14%Heat waves9%Tornadoes5%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Bella Vista faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

14% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Bella Vista flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bella Vista, from FEMA’s records.

3paid claims since 2013
$24Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20132026

Biggest named events

  • Late spring severe storms: 1 claim, $1K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Bella Vista isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Benton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Bella Vista

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bella Vista itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Bella Vista.

Brought FEMA money into Bella VistaDeclared for Benton County only
2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

51 households applied for aid $37K aid approved $20K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $152K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $7K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$288K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

30 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $139K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm

$18K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

4 households applied for aid $135 aid approved
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

24 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $147K to the City of Bella Vista for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $407 aid approved
Benton County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Bella Vista

Bella Vista and the towns around it

Gravette: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBentonville: Low, mostly inland floodingCenterton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRogers: Low, mostly inland floodingCave Springs: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHighfill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLittle Flock: Low, mostly inland floodingBella Vista: Moderate, mostly inland flooding Bella VistaGravetteBentonville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Gravettemostly inland floodingModerate
Bella Vistamostly inland floodingModerate
Bentonvillemostly inland floodingLow
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Bella Vista covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bella Vista’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bella Vista. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Bella Vista total about $8.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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