Natural disaster risk in Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Alaska · population 18,633 · FIPS 02050
Overall: relatively low risk
Bethel Census Area has a composite risk score of 44.3 out of 100 — higher than 44% of US counties. It ranks 11 of 30 in Alaska (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, winter weather, wildfire.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Bethel Census Area is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 24 weeks in a row.
Drought in Bethel Census Area: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 44.3 |
| Expected annual loss About $8.3 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 27.6 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 100 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 39.1 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Bethel Census Area, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively high 94 |
| Winter weather | Relatively high 89 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 83 |
| Avalanche | Relatively low 74 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 27 |
| Earthquake | Very low 49 |
| Volcanic activity | Very low 42 |
| Landslide | Very low 37 |
| Tsunami | Very low 16 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 9 |
| Ice storm | Very low 4 |
| Tornado | Very low 1 |
| Hail | Very low 0 |
| Strong wind | Very low 0 |
| Coastal flooding | No rating |
| Drought | No rating |
| Heat wave | Insufficient data |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Bethel Census Area
Federal declarations that designated Bethel Census Area, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Bethel Census Area has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4893-AK (Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong), declared 22 Oct 2025.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4893-AK | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong | 22 Oct 2025 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Alaska, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Bethel Census Area, Alaska?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Bethel Census Area as relatively low, with a score of 44.3 out of 100 (higher than 44% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Bethel Census Area?
The hazards rated highest for Bethel Census Area are cold wave (relatively high), winter weather (relatively high), wildfire (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Bethel Census Area?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Bethel Census Area as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Bethel Census Area had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Bethel Census Area has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4893-AK (Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong), declared 22 Oct 2025.
Is Bethel Census Area in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Bethel Census Area is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 24 weeks in a row.
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