Natural hazards · Bethlehem

Bethlehem, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethlehem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bethlehem?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethlehem to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes8%Heat waves7%Cold waves6%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%

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

63% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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?

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

49paid claims since 1979

$2.1Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 17 claims, $1.1M
Hurricane Isaias: 11 claims, $148K
Hurricane Irene: 5 claims, $566K

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. 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: Northampton County.

Disasters that hit Bethlehem

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into BethlehemDeclared for Northampton County only

Northampton County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Bethlehem

Bethlehem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Freemansburgmostly inland floodingHigh

Eastonmostly inland floodingHigh

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingModerate

Palmermostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Sauconmostly inland floodingLow

Lower Nazarethmostly inland floodingLow

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingLow

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 covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

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 Township of Bethlehem. 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 Bethlehem total about $6.8M 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.