Natural hazards · Wilmington

Wilmington, DE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wilmington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 202 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 Wilmington?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wilmington to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Coastal flooding6%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Wilmington faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Wilmington flood?

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

202paid claims since 1978

$6.4Mpaid to owners

18homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 63 claims, $3.0M
Hurricane Floyd: 13 claims, $656K
Hurricane Irene: 12 claims, $88K

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. Wilmington 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

86flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3buildings floodproofed

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Wilmington

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WilmingtonDeclared for New Castle County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

$460K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$111K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$108K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$586K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

300 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved $201K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

2003

Snow

$468K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$124K to the City of Wilmington for repairs

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

Around Wilmington

Wilmington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pennsvillemostly coastal floodingVery high

Carneys Pointmostly coastal floodingHigh

Penns Grovemostly coastal floodingHigh

Elsmeremostly inland floodingHigh

Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Edgemoormostly inland floodingLow

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. Wilmington covers 25 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wilmington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wilmington. 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 Wilmington total about $33.5M 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.