Natural hazards · Bethany

Bethany, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethany comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bethany?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethany to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes43%Inland flooding41%Heat waves7%Cold waves6%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Bethany faces

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

Earthquakes

43% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Bethany flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Bethany

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into BethanyDeclared for Washington County only

Washington County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Bethany

Bethany and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Oak Hillsmostly earthquakesModerate

Cedar Millmostly earthquakesLow

Bethanymostly earthquakesLow

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. Bethany covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bethany’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bethany. 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 Bethany total about $6.0M 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.