Flood history · Lewes, DE 19958
Flood insurance claims in Lewes, DE 19958
224 claims since 1979 and $1.7 million paid. Here's what the public record shows, and how to check a specific address.
Claims by year
Every NFIP flood insurance claim reported in ZIP 19958 since 1978.
What the record says
78% of claims were on properties in high-risk zones and 22% outside them.
Losses are spread across many events; the largest, Hurricane Sandy, accounts for 23% of claims.
17 claims were filed in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is tidal water overflow: coastal surge and high tides.
Lewes, City Of takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System (class 7), which can lower flood insurance premiums by up to 15% in high-risk zones.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy | 2012 | 52 | 23% |
| Unnamed flooding | 1992 | 48 | 21% |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011 | 5 | 2% |
| December Storm - Nor'easter | 1992 | 1 | 0% |
| 2025-08-Erin-HU | 2025 | 1 | 0% |
| Tropical Storm Ophelia | 2023 | 1 | 0% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Sussex County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
7 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Sussex County since 2000.
Check a specific address in Lewes.
ZIP-level history is the backdrop. See the official FEMA flood zone, ground elevation and next steps for one property, free.
Sources: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) and Disaster Declarations Summaries, FEMA NFIP Community Status Book; place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Data as of 2026-10-09. Payments are net building + contents payments in dollars at the time paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims are grouped by the ZIP code reported on the claim. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA. Information only; not an official flood zone determination or insurance advice.