Natural hazards · Milton

Milton, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Milton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1998. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Milton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Milton to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding42%Hurricanes30%Cold waves18%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Milton faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% 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

Cold waves

18% 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 Milton flood?

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

9paid claims since 1998

$471Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $132K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $28K

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. Milton 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

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Milton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MiltonDeclared for Sussex County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$11K to the Town of Milton for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$6K to the Town of Milton for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$10K to the Town of Milton for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

1 household applied for aid $978 aid approved $1K to the Town of Milton for repairs

2003

Snow

$2K to the Town of Milton 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. Milton 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 Milton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Milton. 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.