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 moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 166 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bethlehem?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bethlehem to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Cold waves11%Heat waves6%Hurricanes6%Everything else14%

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

64% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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.

166paid claims since 1978

$3.5Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 19 claims, $644K
Hurricane Irene: 19 claims, $299K
Hurricane Isaias: 12 claims, $358K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Bethlehem

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BethlehemDeclared for Northampton County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

140 households applied for aid $70K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

32 households applied for aid $52K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

94 households applied for aid $125K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

5 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

270 households applied for aid $914K aid approved

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

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingModerate

Allentownmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Sauconmostly inland floodingLow

Hellertownmostly inland floodingLow

Salisburymostly inland floodingLow

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingLow

Hanovermostly 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. Bethlehem covers 19 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 City 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 $22.6M 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.