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Natural hazards · Bethel

Bethel, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1983. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bethel?

16
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethel to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Cold waves9%Tornadoes8%Hurricanes6%Everything else11%
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

66% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 70 years in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 25 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Bethel flood?

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

10paid claims since 1983
$130Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19832026

Biggest named events

  • Torrential rain: 2 claims, $19K
  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $21K

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: Sullivan County.
Disasters that hit Bethel

10 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 Sullivan County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

$442K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$46K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

5 households applied for aid
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $85K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$186K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$95K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$70K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2003

Snow

$21K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$37K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$20K to the Town of Bethel for repairs
Sullivan County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Bethel

Bethel and the towns around it

Thompson: Very low, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Very low, mostly inland floodingCallicoon: High, mostly inland floodingCochecton: Low, mostly inland floodingHighland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDelaware: High, mostly inland floodingFallsburg: Low, mostly inland floodingForestburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingMamakating: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRockland: Very high, mostly inland floodingNeversink: High, mostly inland floodingFremont: High, mostly inland floodingJeffersonville: High, mostly inland floodingDamascus: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTusten: High, mostly inland floodingShohola: Low, mostly inland floodingLumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingLackawaxen: Low, mostly inland floodingManchester: High, mostly inland floodingBethel: Very low, mostly inland flooding BethelThompsonLibertyCallicoonCochectonHighlandDelaware
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Callicoonmostly inland floodingHigh
Delawaremostly inland floodingHigh
Highlandmostly inland floodingModerate
Cochectonmostly inland floodingLow
Bethelmostly inland floodingVery low
Libertymostly inland floodingVery low
Thompsonmostly inland floodingVery low
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 2 census tracts, 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 $1.8M 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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You’re in Bethel, NYSullivan CountyView boundary

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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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