Sussex County, Delaware: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sussex County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 94.1 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by coastal flooding, winter weather, cold wave. Its storm record holds 2,155 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 97.6 | $14M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 96.7 | $727K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98.1 | $17M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.2 | $35M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.6 | $1.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.9 | $665K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | $43M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.4 | $2.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | $385K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 84.8 | $538K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 81.5 | $1.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 63.4 | $1.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.4 | $306K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 50.6 | $1K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 400 | 2 | $3.2M | 3rd of 3 | 108th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 372 | 0 | $3.5M | 3rd of 3 | 1110th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 261 | 2 | $7.2M | 3rd of 3 | 937th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 258 | 0 | $78M | 2nd of 3 | 335th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 210 | 0 | – | 3rd of 3 | 112th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 130 | 3 | – | 3rd of 3 | 332nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 105 | 0 | $36M | 3rd of 3 | 824th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 81 | 0 | $6.1M | 2nd of 3 | 73rd of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 80 | 5 | $146K | 1st of 3 | 29th of 2,080 |
| Extreme cold | 51 | 2 | – | 3rd of 3 | 855th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 48 | 0 | $433K | 3rd of 3 | 2546th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 36 | 0 | $17M | 3rd of 3 | 305th of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 1 | $1.9M | 3rd of 3 | 1764th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 10 | 0 | $7K | 1st of 3 | 287th 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 Sussex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.