FEMA Records
17
Below median
Delaware · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Kent County, DE
17 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 17
- FEMA declarations
- 11
- Major disasters
- 85
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Kent County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 17 declarations, more than 32% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 6% below the Delaware county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 15%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 15%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 17
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 375
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 10001 · Kent County 17 declarations · rank 2078/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-MID 17
- MAJOR-MID 65%
- RANK-LOWER #2,078
- PHOTO-FINISH Curry
- NRI-MID 85
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Hurricane
- VS-ST-BELOW -6%
Nearest declaration peer: Curry, OR (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Delaware state profile
Kent County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Kent County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Curry · near 17
Curry · near
17 declarations
- Kent · this county 17
Kent · this county
17 declarations
- Murray · near 17
Murray · near
17 declarations
- Washington · near 17
Washington · near
17 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Kent County carries 17 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2078 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Kent County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Kent County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Kent County
17 32nd percentile higher than 32% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Kent County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Kent County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $23.5M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Cold Wave carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Kent County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 375 paid claims, totaling $3.6M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $9.5K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Delaware county averages 18.0 federal declaration records, while Kent County has 17. The gap is 6% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 84.5/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $55.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 1 years here, based on 15 historical events on record.
58 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Kent County, DE · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
12/30
17 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.8x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
12/25
17 declarations (0.9x state county average of 18)
Major Disaster Share High
16/25
11 of 17 declarations are major disasters (65%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Kent County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Kent County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
65%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
85
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Kent County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | roughly once every 1 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 7.8 times per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 9 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 5.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 5.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 728 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 34 times per year |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.7 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 3 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,176 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 4.7 times per year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 1.6 times per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 12 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 7
Snowstorm 4
Biological 2
Winter Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Flood 1
Drought 1
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on Kent County's federal record, 41% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 11 64.7%
of all 17 declarations
Emergency - 6 35.3%
of all 17 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 17 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 17 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4916 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2026-05-29 |
| 4566 | TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS | DR | Hurricane | 2020-10-02 |
| 4526 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-05 |
| 3449 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4090 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2012-11-16 |
| 3357 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-29 |
| 4037 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-30 |
| 3336 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-28 |
| 1896 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMS | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-03-31 |
| 3263 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-30 |
| 1494 | HURRICANE ISABEL | DR | Hurricane | 2003-09-20 |
| 3183 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2003-03-20 |
| 1082 | BLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM) | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-12 |
| 1017 | SEVERE ICE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1994-03-16 |
| 3111 | SEVERE SNOWFALL & WINTER STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-18 |
| 933 | SEVERE COASTAL STORM | DR | Flood | 1992-02-06 |
| 207 | WATER SHORTAGE | DR | Drought | 1965-08-18 |
Storm Events in Delaware
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Kent County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 492 | 1 | 10 | $196.0K |
| Heavy Rain | 222 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Weather | 132 | 1 | 50 | $0 |
| Flash Flood | 102 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| Coastal Flood | 95 | 0 | 0 | $12.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
375
Total Paid
$3.6M
Avg Per Claim
$9.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 84.5/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$55.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Coastal Flooding Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Kent County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Hurricane. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Kent County's closest FEMA peer: Henderson County, TX
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Kent County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Kent County: NRI composite 84.5 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar Major-disaster share
Kent County: 11 of 17 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Kent County shows 17 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Kent County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Kent County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 84.5 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 17. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Kent County's NFIP claims file (375 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Kent County?
The most common disaster type in Kent County is Hurricane, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (4), Biological (2), Winter Storm (1).
How does Kent County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Delaware average?
The typical Delaware county has 18.0 FEMA declaration records; Kent County has 17, or 6% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 18% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Kent County received?
Kent County has received 11 major disaster declarations, representing 65% of all 17 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Kent County filed?
Kent County has 375 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $3.6M in payments, with an average of $9.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Kent County?
No. In Kent County, Cold Wave has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $23.5M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Kent County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Kent County was 2003, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Kent County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Kent County, Delaware has an overall risk score of 84.5 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Low; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $55.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Kent County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Kent County as of the latest release is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively High) and Hurricane (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at roughly once every 1 years, drawn from 15 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Kent County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Delaware profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events