Natural hazards · Bethany Beach

Bethany Beach, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bethany Beach comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 397 claims here since 1980. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bethany Beach?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding58%Hurricanes30%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Bethany Beach faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Bethany Beach flood?

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

397paid claims since 1980

$2.8Mpaid to owners

49homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 87 claims, $539K
Hurricane Gloria: 26 claims, $181K
December Storm - Nor'easter: 2 claims, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Bethany Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Sussex County.

Disasters that hit Bethany Beach

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bethany Beach itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Bethany Beach.

Brought FEMA money into Bethany BeachDeclared for Sussex County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$15K to the Town of Bethany Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$8K to the Town of Bethany Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$8K to the Town of Bethany Beach for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

$9K to the Town of Bethany Beach for repairs

Sussex County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

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. Bethany Beach is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bethany Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bethany Beach. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.