Natural hazards · Greenwood

Greenwood, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Greenwood comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1999. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Greenwood?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Greenwood to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes41%Inland flooding35%Cold waves12%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Greenwood faces

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

Hurricanes

41% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Greenwood flood?

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

10paid claims since 1999

$126Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $23K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $759

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sussex County.

Disasters that hit Greenwood

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GreenwoodDeclared for Sussex County only

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$6K to the Town of Greenwood for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

7 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

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. Greenwood 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 Greenwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Greenwood. 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.