Natural hazards · Derby

Derby, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Derby comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 28 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Derby?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Derby to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding74%Hurricanes16%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Derby faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Derby flood?

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

28paid claims since 1978

$119Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 7 claims, $8K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $3K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $6K

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

Insurance rates: .

Around Derby

Derby and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Derbymostly inland floodingHigh

Ansoniamostly inland floodingHigh

Sheltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Orangemostly inland floodingModerate

Seymourmostly inland floodingModerate

Woodbridgemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Derby covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Derby’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Derby. 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 Derby total about $3.7M 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.