Natural hazards · Elsmere

Elsmere, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elsmere comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elsmere?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elsmere to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding83%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Elsmere faces

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

Inland flooding

83% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Elsmere flood?

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

31paid claims since 1978

$391Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 3 claims, $24K
Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $19K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Elsmere 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Elsmere

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElsmereDeclared for New Castle County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$9K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$3K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$14K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding From the Remnants of

$22K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved $9K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

2003

Snow

$9K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$8K to the Town of Elsmere for repairs

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

Around Elsmere

Elsmere and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Elsmeremostly inland floodingHigh

Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Elsmere covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elsmere’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Elsmere. 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 Elsmere total about $3.0M 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.