Natural hazards · Bethlehem

Bethlehem, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethlehem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bethlehem?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethlehem to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes10%Cold waves9%Drought7%Heat waves5%Strong wind5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Bethlehem faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bethlehem flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bethlehem.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. 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: Henry County.

Disasters that hit Bethlehem

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BethlehemDeclared for Henry County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$49K to the Township of Bethlehem for repairs

2015

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

$19K to the Township of Bethlehem for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$10K to the Township of Bethlehem for repairs

Henry County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and ice storms.

Around Bethlehem

Bethlehem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingModerate

Leesvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Deer Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Osagemostly inland floodingModerate

Clintonmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Bethlehem is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bethlehem’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bethlehem. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.