NFIP records · Sussex County · policies as of July 31, 2026
Flood insurance in Sussex County, Delaware
That is 5% below the Delaware median of $923 and 17% below the U.S. median of $1,055; 2nd highest of 3 Delaware counties with 100+ priced policies.
By ZIP it ranges from $561 (19967 Millville) to $1,321 (19944 Fenwick Island); find your ZIP.
Renewing? Policies whose term began in 2026 typically pay $931. Buying? Policies first bought in the past year typically pay $738. Why prices differ.
Check your address on FEMA's flood map →Your flood zone is set at your exact address and decides whether a lender must require coverage; your price comes mainly from your own building's flood risk.
Built from all 15,871 in-force NFIP policy records and 4,307 claim records FEMA publishes for Sussex County, downloaded October 25, 2026 with every record for Delaware, every record the download listed was received, none missing. Download the figures on this page (CSV) · How we check them
Is my quote or renewal normal here?
Type your yearly cost (premium plus fees) to see where it sits among existing single-family policies here.
Enter an amount above.
Am I required to buy it?
Federal law requires it only in a high-risk zone (A or V) with a federally regulated or backed mortgage, or federal help to buy or build (42 U.S.C. §4012a). Outside them, a lender can still require it.
74.8% of Sussex County's NFIP policy units are in high-risk zones (not 74.8% of all buildings, and not an answer about your own home).
| Flood zone | Policy units | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Zone AE (high-risk) | 12,997 | 59.0% |
| Zone X | 5,525 | 25.1% |
| Zone VE (high-risk) | 2,019 | 9.2% |
| Zone AO (high-risk) | 1,340 | 6.1% |
| Other high-risk zones (A, A07, A06, A04 and others) | 118 | 0.5% |
| Other low-risk or unclassified zones | 23 | 0.1% |
Every zone starting with A or V is high-risk, including older numbered labels such as A1 to A30 from older flood maps (newer maps use AE for the same kind of area). Policies keep the label they were rated with, so the old labels are counted on their own.
Insured units by the zone each policy is rated in. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: govinfo.gov, federalreserve.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
I'm outside the high-risk zone. Do floods happen there?
Yes. 8.8% of the flood-insurance claim money paid in Sussex County since 1978 went to buildings outside the high-risk zones. Today 25.2% of policy units here are outside them.
- Claim dollars paid outside A/V zones8.8%Delaware: 13.6%
- Policies outside A/V zones25.2%
- Zone X median cost$618
Insured claims only, by each policy's rated zone. Whether a lender can require coverage outside these zones is under “Am I required to buy it?”
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims; FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data: claims 1978–2026; policies July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How much does it cost here?
Typically about $880 a year ($73 a month), fees included. Half of homeowners here pay between $604 and $1,269. To check a quote, use the checker at the top.
A quarter pay under $604 · Typical $880 · A quarter pay over $1,269 · A tenth pay $1,709 or more
Each policy's annual cost (premium plus the federal policy fee, reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge), single-family primary residences. The bar is the middle half of policies, from 6,146 single-family primary-home policies. These are existing policies, many still below FEMA's full-risk price.
Coverage in force: $5.2 billion of building and $1.0 billion of contents coverage across all Sussex County policies.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How do I actually get covered — and how fast?
Most policies start 30 days after you buy, but there is no wait if you buy it with a new or refinanced mortgage.
- Waiting period30 days
- Bought with a new or refinanced mortgageNo wait
- NFIP building limit$250,000
- NFIP contents limit$100,000
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage; flood insurance is bought separately, through the federal NFIP or a private insurer. Exceptions: no wait if you buy while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage; a one-day wait if a map revision puts the property in a high-risk zone and you buy within 13 months of the revision (44 CFR §61.11). To buy: call the NFIP at (877) 336-2627, go to FloodSmart.gov, or ask any licensed insurance agent. Every NFIP insurer offers the same rates.
Already flooded? Insured: report the loss to your insurance agent or company now (FEMA's steps: how to start a flood claim). Not insured: a policy bought today will not cover a flood that already happened, and FEMA disaster aid is open to people in counties designated in a federally declared disaster. If FEMA aid pays to repair a home in a high-risk zone, you must buy and keep flood insurance on it, or you cannot get that aid again after a later flood.
Source: floodsmart.gov, govinfo.gov, fema.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
What do floods actually pay out here?
Floods here have led to 4,307 NFIP flood claims and $35.4 million in payouts since 1978; the worst years were 2012, 1998 and 1992.
Bar height is dollars paid that year. Orange bars are the three costliest years: 2012 ($17,266,902), 1998 ($5,963,285), 1992 ($5,030,218). Total paid $35,424,601. Totals for the latest two years are not final while their claims stay open. How this is counted
That is 4,307 claims since 1978 against 22,022 policy units in force today — a cumulative tally spanning ~49 years over a present-day snapshot, not an annual claim rate or a flood probability.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Do flood claims here actually pay out?
Most do: 74.4% of claims here paid something. The average paid claim was $11,136.
- Average paid claim, incl. code-upgrade (ICC) pay$11,136Delaware: $19,348
- Closed with no payment25.6%Delaware: 25.3%
- Claims that paid3,205
| Decade of the flood | Claims filed | Share that paid something |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 276 | 59.4% |
| 1990s | 1,767 | 71.8% |
| 2000s | 298 | 67.4% |
| 2010s | 1,825 | 81.0% |
| 2020s | 128 | 65.6% |
FEMA lists reasons a claim closes without payment, such as damage below the deductible, no flood as the policy defines it, or seepage and drain backup the policy does not cover. The average is over claims that paid something and includes Increased Cost of Compliance payments (help to elevate or rebuild to code), which the yearly totals above leave out. Dollars are as paid at the time, not adjusted for inflation; a single home can file across several floods over the years.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Why do flood claims here go unpaid?
Of the 1,102 claims here closed without payment, the top reason FEMA recorded was “damage less than the deductible” (397 claims).
| Reason recorded | Claims |
|---|---|
| Damage less than the deductible | 397 |
| Other | 219 |
| No demonstrable damage | 109 |
| Not an actual flood | 109 |
| Assigned in error | 82 |
| Smaller reasons, or none recorded | 186 |
Some closed claims are paperwork, not a denied flood. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Which floods paid out the biggest totals here?
The costliest single flood here was Hurricane Sandy (2012): $16.8 million across 1,230 NFIP flood claims.
| Flood (FEMA's name) | Claims | Total paid | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy (2012) | 1,230 | $16.8 million | $13,629 |
| December Storm Nor'easter (1992) | 60 | $695,644 | $11,594 |
| Hurricane Gloria (1985) | 75 | $438,726 | $5,850 |
| Flooding (1980–1998): FEMA's general label, many separate floods | 900 | $9.1 million | $10,152 |
Grouped by the flood event FEMA named; only claims that paid something. How this is counted
Among the five costliest years, these have no named event in this table, because FEMA filed their claims under a general label: 1998, 2016, 2021 (their totals are in the yearly chart above).
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Would a policy here pay to rebuild my home?
Not in full for at least 57.2% of the 4,437 single-family policies here that report a rebuilding cost: FEMA's records put it above the NFIP's $250,000 building limit.
- Rebuilding cost above the building limit (of 4,437 policies reporting one)57.2%Delaware: 53.3%
- Single-family policies insured to the building maximum (all of them, not only those above)91.4%
- Damage was more than the coverage (of 3,151 claims paid with a damage figure)0.8%
The two shares have different bases: insured-to-the-maximum counts every single-family policy with the full building limit; the rebuilding-cost share counts only the policies that report a rebuilding cost. Homes insured for less than their own rebuilding cost can also fall short. How this is counted
The NFIP pays the cost to rebuild (not a depreciated value) only for a single-family home that is your principal residence and is insured for at least 80% of its full rebuilding cost, or for the $250,000 maximum.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies; FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: floodsmart.gov, ecfr.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
What does it cost in my flood zone?
From about $618 a year (Zone X) to $1,316 (Zone VE) here. Your zone is on your lender's flood determination or FEMA's map; find its row below.
| Flood zone | Median / yr | Priced policies |
|---|---|---|
| Zone AE | $1,149 | 3,235 |
| Zone X | $618 | 2,617 |
| Zone VE | $1,316 | 132 |
| Zone AO | $1,265 | 91 |
| Zone A | $675 | 55 |
Zones with fewer than 50 priced single-family policies are omitted. Your own premium still depends on elevation and coverage.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Find your ZIP in this county
Typical costs run from $561 a year in 19967 Millville to $1,321 in 19944 Fenwick Island. All 24 ZIPs on NFIP policy records here are in the lookup.
Enter a five-digit ZIP above.
ZIPs exactly as FEMA recorded them on policies here; a ZIP with only a policy or two may be a ZIP from elsewhere, as entered on the policy.
| ZIP | Median / yr | Priced policies | Policy units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19958 Lewes | $597 | 1,117 | 2,361 |
| 19971 Rehoboth Beach | $946 | 831 | 3,790 |
| 19975 Selbyville | $1,155 | 819 | 2,555 |
| 19970 Ocean View | $920 | 753 | 2,535 |
| 19930 Bethany Beach | $1,207 | 650 | 5,851 |
| 19939 Dagsboro | $722 | 422 | 599 |
| 19966 Millsboro | $688 | 400 | 1,159 |
| 19968 Milton | $805 | 254 | 494 |
The eight ZIPs with the largest number of priced single-family policies. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Why do sites quote different prices for Sussex County?
Because they measure different things. Existing single-family policies here typically cost $880 a year, and policies first bought in the past year $738; other sites count other policies, years or averages.
| Measure | Amount | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost, single-family homes (median) | $880 | premium plus fees; the middle policy |
| Typical premium only | $685 | before the federal fee, reserve fund and surcharge |
| Typical cost, policies whose term began in 2025 | $835 | 3,067 policies |
| Typical cost, policies whose term began in 2026 | $931 | 3,079 policies |
| Typical cost, policies first bought in the past year | $738 | 276 policies, past year |
| FEMA's full-risk premium (median) | $736 | the price FEMA's model sets for these existing policies |
| Full-risk premium plus average fees | $955 | what these existing policies would cost at FEMA's full price |
| Average (mean) cost, single-family homes | $1,034 | pulled up by a few expensive policies |
| Average cost, every policy type | $1,440 | adds condos, rentals and businesses |
All from the NFIP policies in force on July 31, 2026. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How do current premiums compare with FEMA's full-risk price?
39.5% of policies here pay less than FEMA's full-risk price, so their bills are rising toward it. Median premium $685, full-risk $736 (premiums only, before fees).
- Median premium charged (before fees)$685
- Median full-risk premium$736
- Pay below full-risk39.5% of 6,146Delaware: 40.2%
Yearly cap: Those prices step up toward full-risk each year, limited by the yearly cap. By law a primary home's premium cannot rise more than 18% a year; some policies, such as second homes and businesses, can rise up to 25%. The cap usually does not apply to new policies, and fees and surcharges sit outside it. Bills already at full risk still change with FEMA's yearly rate updates.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Can I pay less?
The usual building deductible here is $1,250 (74.5% of single-family policies). FEMA's ways to lower an NFIP bill: a higher deductible (you pay more of any loss), work that lowers the building's flood risk, and an Elevation Certificate.
| Building deductible | Share of policies |
|---|---|
| $1,250 | 74.5% |
| $2,000 | 14.4% |
| $5,000 | 7.1% |
| $10,000 | 3.1% |
Single-family primary homes; the four commonest deductibles. Your lender may limit how high you can go.
Elevated vs not elevated is not what raising your home would save: the two groups sit in different zones and places, so compare like with like on your own quote.
- Median premium, elevated buildings$830 (2,527 policies)
- Median premium, not elevated$583 (3,619 policies)
Premium before fees, single-family primary homes.
Community discount: see Does my town get a community discount?
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: agents.floodsmart.gov, floodsmart.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
Does my town get a community discount?
Only some: 7 of the 25 NFIP communities here get one, up to 15% in Lewes. It is automatic, already in these prices, and the same in every flood zone.
| Community | Discount | CRS class |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | 15% | 7 |
| Bethany Beach | 10% | 8 |
| Rehoboth Beach | 10% | 8 |
| Seaford | 5% | 9 |
| South Bethany | 5% | 9 |
| Dewey Beach | 5% | 9 |
| Fenwick Island | 5% | 9 |
No CRS discount (18): Sussex County; Blades; Bridgeville; Dagsboro; Frankford; Selbyville; Greenwood; Laurel; Millsboro; Millville; Milton; Ocean View; Slaughter Beach; Henlopen Acres; Bethel; Delmar; Ellendale; Georgetown.
The Community Rating System cuts NFIP premiums in communities that do extra flood work. A community named for the county covers its unincorporated area only.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Community Status Book (CRS). Data: FEMA's current Community Status Book; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How much flood risk is here?
Very High for coastal flooding and Relatively Moderate for inland (river) flooding, by FEMA's county rating. That compares this county with others; it is not a forecast for your address.
- Coastal flood riskVery High
- Inland flood riskRelatively Moderate
FEMA's rating weighs modeled loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; it is not a prediction for your home, and it can differ from the loss percentile below. Coastal: FEMA models roughly $14.2 million of flood loss a year (buildings, people and farmland valued in dollars, insured or not; a model, not insurance payouts); per dollar of building value, that loss is higher than in about 98% of U.S. counties. Inland: FEMA models roughly $42.6 million of flood loss a year (buildings, people and farmland valued in dollars, insured or not; a model, not insurance payouts); per dollar of building value, that loss is higher than in about 17% of U.S. counties. Loss figures model all flood loss, insured or not, so they run far above insurance payouts. How this is counted
Source: FEMA — National Risk Index (flood). Data: NRI 2023 release; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How often has it actually flooded here?
100 flood events here since 1996, by the weather service's count, with about $2.9 million in property damage the weather service estimated (all buildings, insured or not; not NFIP payouts).
- Flood events logged100
- Reported property damage$2.9 million
Floods that happened, insured or not; damage is a weather-service estimate, not audited. How this is counted
Source: NOAA NCEI — Storm Events Database. Data effective 1996-2025; retrieved October 26, 2026.
Do the same homes flood again here?
Not in FEMA's records: no disaster-aid applications here came from homes that flooded more than once.
- Repeat-flood damage records0
These count damage events on repeat-flooded homes, not distinct homes. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — Individual Assistance Multiple-Loss Flood Properties. Data: FEMA's current multiple-loss list; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How many homes here carry flood insurance?
About 1 in 8 homes here has flood insurance (12.7%). Inside the high-risk zone it's 61.4%.
- Homes with NFIP flood insurance12.7%Delaware: 4.8%
- High-risk-zone homes insured61.4%
- Residential policies in FEMA's insured-homes count (each condo building counts once)15,126
NFIP only; private flood insurance is not counted. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. Data effective August 3, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How often is this county a flood disaster?
8 federal disasters for floods or storms here; the latest was Hurricane Sandy (2012).
- 2012 — Hurricane Sandy
- 2011 — Hurricane Irene
- 2006 — Severe Storms and Flooding
- 2003 — Hurricane Isabel
- 1998 — Severe Winter Storms, High Winds, and Flooding
- 1994 — Severe Ice Storms and Flooding
One line per disaster, by calendar year; counted over every declaration FEMA lists for here. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — Disaster Declarations Summaries. Data: declarations through 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Did FEMA aid homeowners after floods and storms?
Yes: FEMA approved $68,384 for homeowners here after floods and storms, about $877 per registration.
FEMA disaster aid helps with uninsured and underinsured losses, and is separate from NFIP insurance. The average is over every registration, including those approved for nothing. Hurricane aid includes wind damage. COVID, fire, ice-storm and tornado aid are left out.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — Housing Assistance (Owners). Data: homeowner aid by disaster; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Are these counts complete?
Every record FEMA's download lists was received and counted.
In-force count: 22,022 policy units (from 15,871 API records; condo-association records carry more than one unit). Download check: policies: 15,871 of 15,871 fetched; claims: 4,307 of 4,307 fetched.
What these records cannot tell you (your own premium, private prices, your exact zone) is on the methodology page.
The federal datasets behind this page
Every figure comes from a public U.S. federal dataset; estimates are labeled where they appear. This page joins 9 of them for Sussex County. The newest of these downloads was October 26, 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies
- FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims
- FEMA — National Risk Index (flood)
- FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Community Status Book (CRS)
- FEMA OpenFEMA — Disaster Declarations Summaries
- FEMA OpenFEMA — Housing Assistance (Owners)
- FEMA OpenFEMA — Individual Assistance Multiple-Loss Flood Properties
- FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Residential Penetration Rates
- NOAA NCEI — Storm Events Database