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Sussex County, Delaware
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 840 events for Sussex County, Delaware, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 89.7 events per 100 square miles, below the Delaware figure of 241.8, and 33.9 per 10,000 residents against 47.0 statewide.
20 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 26 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $9.6M and crop damage at $401K.
FEMA has designated the county in 20 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storm (major disaster, 29 May 2026).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 4,307 claims since 1978, of which 3,207 were paid, totalling $36M (about $11K per paid claim). FEMA counts 15,126 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($119M a year across 18 hazards).
74 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 5 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Delaware and the United States
| Measure | Sussex County | Delaware | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 840 | 4,711 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 89.7 | 241.8 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 33.9 | 47.0 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 20 | 123 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 36 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $9.6M | $162M | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 6.3 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $11K | $19K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 1.2 | 2.5 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 570 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 204 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 2023 | Tornado | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 8 May 1984 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 8 | County |
| 8 May 1984 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 12 Aug 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $10K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 31 Jul 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 Mar 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 7 Jul 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 115 mph | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $150K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 12 Aug 1955 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 24 Jun 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 5 Jul 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 15 Apr 2019 | Tornado | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 9 Jun 2021 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 4 Aug 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Aug 2001 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.1M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $800K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2012 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 May 2026 | DR-4916 | Major disaster | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 5 Apr 2020 | DR-4526 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3449 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 16 Mar 2016 | DR-4265 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 16 Nov 2012 | DR-4090 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 29 Oct 2012 | EM-3357 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 30 Sep 2011 | DR-4037 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 28 Aug 2011 | EM-3336 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 31 Mar 2010 | DR-1896 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Public assistance |
| 5 Jul 2006 | DR-1654 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 30 Sep 2005 | EM-3263 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 20 Sep 2003 | DR-1494 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 20 Mar 2003 | EM-3183 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 13 Feb 1998 | DR-1205 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, High Winds, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 12 Jan 1996 | DR-1082 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Blizzard Of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | Public assistance |
| 16 Mar 1994 | DR-1017 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 18 Mar 1993 | EM-3111 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 15 Jan 1993 | DR-976 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Severe Coastal Storm & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 6 Feb 1992 | DR-933 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Coastal Storm | Public assistance |
| 18 Aug 1965 | DR-207 | Major disaster | Drought | Water Shortage | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2025 | 18 | 11 | $66,736 | $6,067 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | $51,602 | $10,320 |
| 2023 | 22 | 13 | $142,295 | $10,946 |
| 2022 | 11 | 6 | $46,277 | $7,713 |
| 2021 | 44 | 37 | $871,082 | $23,543 |
| 2020 | 17 | 12 | $38,549 | $3,212 |
| 2019 | 20 | 8 | $97,758 | $12,220 |
| 2018 | 22 | 15 | $115,961 | $7,731 |
| 2017 | 10 | 5 | $32,100 | $6,420 |
| 2016 | 141 | 106 | $1,246,063 | $11,755 |
| 2015 | 34 | 22 | $137,244 | $6,238 |
| 2014 | 8 | 3 | $9,412 | $3,137 |
| 2013 | 34 | 21 | $171,944 | $8,188 |
| 2012 | 1,486 | 1,258 | $17,501,564 | $13,912 |
| 2011 | 52 | 35 | $526,138 | $15,033 |
| 2010 | 18 | 7 | $41,959 | $5,994 |
| 2009 | 124 | 90 | $854,479 | $9,494 |
| 2008 | 45 | 36 | $214,570 | $5,960 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2006 | 42 | 28 | $432,168 | $15,435 |
| 2005 | 7 | 4 | $28,475 | $7,119 |
| 2004 | 4 | 2 | $21,144 | $10,572 |
| 2003 | 46 | 28 | $127,933 | $4,569 |
| 2002 | 9 | 4 | $16,810 | $4,202 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $42,608,060 | |
| Hurricane | $35,311,960 | |
| Cold wave | $16,807,500 | |
| Coastal flooding | $14,172,943 | |
| Heat wave | $2,311,175 | |
| Tornado | $1,589,885 | |
| Earthquake | $1,522,557 | |
| Strong wind | $1,295,442 | |
| Drought | $1,060,189 | |
| Winter weather | $726,815 | |
| Lightning | $664,522 | |
| Wildfire | $538,072 | |
| Ice storm | $385,461 | |
| Hail | $305,691 | |
| Landslide | $1,109 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsa | 2021 | 21 mi | 58 mph |
| Ida | 2021 | 79 mi | 40 mph |
| Fay | 2020 | 53 mi | 58 mph |
| Nestor | 2019 | 93 mi | 46 mph |
| Michael | 2018 | 97 mi | 69 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 100 mi | 46 mph |
| Sandy | 2012 | 71 mi | 86 mph |
| Irene | 2011 | 44 mi | 75 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 95 mi | 52 mph |
| Ernesto | 2006 | 75 mi | 46 mph |
| Twenty-two | 2005 | 83 mi | 46 mph |
| Charley | 2004 | 93 mi | 40 mph |
| Gaston | 2004 | 49 mi | 40 mph |
| Jeanne | 2004 | 35 mi | 40 mph |
| Floyd | 1999 | 47 mi | 69 mph |
| Bertha | 1996 | 49 mi | 69 mph |
| Danielle | 1992 | 29 mi | 63 mph |
| Charley | 1986 | 75 mi | 75 mph |
| Gloria | 1985 | 49 mi | 98 mph |
| Henri | 1985 | 79 mi | 40 mph |
| Dean | 1983 | 85 mi | 46 mph |
| Belle | 1976 | 83 mi | 92 mph |
| Doria | 1971 | 12 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1968 | 91 mi | 52 mph |
| Doria | 1967 | 81 mi | 75 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 19930 1,414
- 19971 880
- 19944 393
- 19975 377
- 19966 325
- 19958 224
- 19963 166
- 19970 155
- 19939 113
- 19968 80
- 19973 64
- 19945 22
- 19950 19
- 19956 17
- 19951 9
- 19947 8
- 19978 6
- 19960 5
- 19967 5
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Sussex County, DE?
NCEI records 48 hail events in Sussex County since 1950, in 29 different years; that is about 0.6 recorded events a year. 11 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Sussex County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 28 tornadoes in Sussex County since 1950, 4 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 1.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Sussex County?
29 May 2026: Severe Winter Storm, a major disaster declaration for winter storm. The county appears in 20 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Sussex County, and how much was paid?
4,307 NFIP claims since 1978, 3,207 of them paid, for $36M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Sussex County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Moderate" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Sussex County compare with the rest of Delaware?
89.7 recorded events per 100 square miles against 241.8 statewide, and 17.4 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 6.3. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.