Natural hazards · Bear

Bear, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bear comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1989. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bear?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bear to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Cold waves7%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Bear faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bear flood?

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

4paid claims since 1989

$46Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Bear isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: New Castle County.

Disasters that hit Bear

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BearDeclared for New Castle County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

5 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

New Castle County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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. Bear covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bear’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bear. 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 Bear total about $4.4M 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.