Bethel Census Area, Alaska: hazard risk
FEMA rates Bethel Census Area's overall risk Relatively Low (score 44.3 of 100, higher than 44% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, winter weather. Its storm record holds 434 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.9 | $6.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 89.7 | $237K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.8 | $372K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 74.7 | $8K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 27.5 | $59K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 49.4 | $158K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 42.0 | $4 |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.8 | $335 |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 16.9 | $54K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 9.6 | $759K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 4.8 | $1K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1.4 | $783 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.0 | $189 |
| Hail | Very Low | 0.9 | $82 |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 311 | 3 | $275K | 21st of 29 | 2947th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 0 | $463K | 27th of 29 | 2953rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 39 | 1 | $10M | 13th of 29 | 3057th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 12 | 0 | – | 15th of 29 | 1272nd of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | – | 21st of 29 | 2884th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 0 | – | 8th of 29 | 1094th of 1,849 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 1 | – | 16th of 29 | 445th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Bethel Census Area record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.