Natural hazards · Delaware

Delaware, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Delaware comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1981.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Delaware?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Delaware to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Tornadoes13%Hail10%Cold waves6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Delaware faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Hail

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Delaware flood?

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

18paid claims since 1981

$376Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 4 claims, $21K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hancock County.

Disasters that hit Delaware

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Hancock County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Delaware itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into DelawareDeclared for Hancock County only

Hancock County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Delaware

Delaware and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Delawaremostly inland floodingHigh

Madisonmostly inland floodingHigh

Amandamostly inland floodingHigh

Mount Blanchardmostly inland floodingHigh

Jacksonmostly inland floodingHigh

Richlandmostly inland floodingModerate

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Delaware covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Delaware’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Delaware. 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 Delaware total about $2.0M 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.