Natural hazards · Selbyville

Selbyville, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Selbyville comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Selbyville?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Selbyville to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes42%Inland flooding33%Cold waves17%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Selbyville faces

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

Hurricanes

42% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% 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 Selbyville flood?

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

3paid claims since 1993

$15Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 2 claims, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Selbyville 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

4homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Selbyville

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SelbyvilleDeclared for Sussex County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$5K to the Town of Selbyville for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$9K to the Town of Selbyville for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$10K to the Town of Selbyville for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

3 households applied for aid $7K to the Town of Selbyville for repairs

2003

Snow

$2K to the Town of Selbyville 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. Selbyville covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Selbyville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Selbyville. 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 Selbyville total about $1.6M 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.