Natural hazards · Bellefonte

Bellefonte, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bellefonte comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bellefonte?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bellefonte to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Bellefonte 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 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Bellefonte flood?

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

13paid claims since 1979

$957Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 6 claims, $895K

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. Bellefonte isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Centre County.

Disasters that hit Bellefonte

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BellefonteDeclared for Centre County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

85 households applied for aid $190K aid approved

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

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. Bellefonte covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bellefonte’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Bellefonte. 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 Bellefonte total about $1.0M 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.