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 low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1987. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Delaware?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Delaware to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Tornadoes11%Everything else20%

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

69% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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.

13paid claims since 1987

$212Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

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: Delaware County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Delaware

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DelawareDeclared for Delaware County only

2024

Tornadoes

99 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$69K to the City of Delaware for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$49K to the City of Delaware for repairs

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

12 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2004

Snow

$38K to the City of Delaware for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $7K to the City of Delaware for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow

$20K to the City of Delaware for repairs

Delaware County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Delaware

Delaware and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Delawaremostly inland floodingModerate

Sciotomostly inland floodingModerate

Troymostly inland floodingModerate

Delawaremostly inland floodingLow

Brownmostly inland floodingLow

Concordmostly inland floodingLow

Berlinmostly inland floodingLow

Libertymostly 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. Delaware covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Delaware’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City 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 $8.7M 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.