Natural hazards · Milford

Milford, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Milford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Milford?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Milford to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding40%Cold waves22%Hurricanes21%Earthquakes5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Milford faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Milford flood?

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

31paid claims since 1980

$759Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $230K
Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $8K

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

No community discount. Milford 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2homes raised above flood level

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Milford

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MilfordDeclared for Sussex County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

5 households applied for aid $959 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. Milford covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Milford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Milford. 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 Milford 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.