Kent County, Delaware: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kent County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.5 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,106 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.7 | $10M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.8 | $534K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | $10M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | $2.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | $1.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.9 | $24M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.4 | $585K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 69.6 | $1.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68.6 | $2.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 67.7 | $205K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.0 | $770K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.7 | $1.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 64.9 | $126K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45.9 | $236K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 30.2 | $330 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 286 | 0 | $4.2M | 2nd of 3 | 647th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 164 | 1 | $5.5M | 2nd of 3 | 406th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 158 | 1 | $1.3M | 2nd of 3 | 87th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 101 | 0 | – | 1st of 3 | 59th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 0 | $2.9M | 3rd of 3 | 601st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 78 | 2 | – | 2nd of 3 | 206th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 53 | 0 | $14M | 2nd of 3 | 396th of 3,063 |
| Hail | 36 | 0 | $174K | 2nd of 3 | 2465th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 1 | – | 2nd of 3 | 519th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 2 | $15M | 2nd of 3 | 1418th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 19 | 0 | – | 3rd of 3 | 54th of 2,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 0 | $14M | 2nd of 3 | 275th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 15 | 0 | $451K | 3rd of 3 | 271st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | – | 3rd of 3 | 504th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Kent County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.