Natural hazards · Bend

Bend, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bend comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1983. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bend?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bend to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Cold waves5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Bend faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Bend flood?

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

5paid claims since 1983

$50Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Bend isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Deschutes County.

Disasters that hit Bend

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BendDeclared for Deschutes County only

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

3 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$246K to the City of Bend for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storms

$65K to the City of Bend for repairs

Deschutes County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Bend

Bend and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tetherowmostly inland floodingModerate

Bendmostly inland floodingLow

Deschutes River Woodsmostly 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. Bend covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bend’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bend. 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 Bend total about $18.3M 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.