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Natural hazards · Bethlehem

Bethlehem, NH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethlehem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bethlehem?

67
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethlehem to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Everything else19%
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

81% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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: Grafton County.
Disasters that hit Bethlehem

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BethlehemDeclared for Grafton County only
2017

Severe Storms and Flooding

$35K to the Town of Bethlehem for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

1 household applied for aid
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Bethlehem for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved $20K to the Town of Bethlehem for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$14K to the Town of Bethlehem for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$8K to the Town of Bethlehem for repairs
2003

Snow

$5K to the Town of Bethlehem for repairs
Grafton County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Bethlehem

Bethlehem and the towns around it

Carroll: High, mostly avalanchesLittleton: Very high, mostly inland floodingFranconia: High, mostly inland floodingWhitefield: High, mostly avalanchesSugar Hill: High, mostly inland floodingHart's Location: Very high, mostly inland floodingJefferson: High, mostly avalanchesConcord: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWaterford: Low, mostly inland floodingDalton: High, mostly avalanchesLisbon: High, mostly inland floodingMonroe: High, mostly inland floodingBarnet: Low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very high, mostly inland floodingEaston: High, mostly inland floodingBartlett: Very high, mostly inland floodingBethlehem: High, mostly inland flooding BethlehemCarrollLittletonFranconiaWhitefieldSugar HillHart's Location
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Hart's Locationmostly inland floodingVery high
Littletonmostly inland floodingVery high
Carrollmostly avalanchesHigh
Whitefieldmostly avalanchesHigh
Bethlehemmostly inland floodingHigh
Franconiamostly inland floodingHigh
Sugar Hillmostly inland floodingHigh
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 Town 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.

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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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