Natural hazards · Bethlehem

Bethlehem, NC 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. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2013.

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 flooding70%Tornadoes9%Cold waves5%Everything else17%

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

70% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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?

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

1paid claims since 2013

$4Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

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: Alexander County.

Disasters that hit Bethlehem

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Alexander County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Bethlehem itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into BethlehemDeclared for Alexander County only

Alexander County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Bethlehem

Bethlehem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingModerate

St. Stephensmostly 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. Bethlehem covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bethlehem’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bethlehem. 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 Bethlehem total about $2.0M 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.