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Natural hazards · Bethel

Bethel, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1981. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bethel?

42
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethel to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes19%Cold waves7%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Bethel faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bethel flood?

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

18paid claims since 1981
$350Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19812026

Biggest named events

  • December Nor'easter: 6 claims, $188K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Bethel isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Oxford County.
Disasters that hit Bethel

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bethel itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Bethel.

Brought FEMA money into BethelDeclared for Oxford County only
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $310K aid approved $160K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$55K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

1 household applied for aid $15K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$13K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$10K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2005

Snow

$12K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$9K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt and Ice Jams

$255K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2003

Snow

$9K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$1K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2001

Snow

$12K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2000

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams

$5K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$938 to the Town of Bethel for repairs
Oxford County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Bethel

Bethel and the towns around it

Hanover: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRumford: High, mostly inland floodingNewry: High, mostly inland floodingGreenwood: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodstock: Low, mostly inland floodingMexico: Very high, mostly inland floodingPeru: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoxbury: Very high, mostly inland floodingAndover: High, mostly inland floodingNorway: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Paris: High, mostly inland floodingSumner: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBethel: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BethelHanoverRumfordNewryGreenwoodWoodstock
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rumfordmostly inland floodingHigh
Newrymostly inland floodingHigh
Bethelmostly inland floodingModerate
Hanovermostly inland floodingModerate
Greenwoodmostly inland floodingLow
Woodstockmostly 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. Bethel covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bethel’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bethel. 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 Bethel total about $1.3M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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