Christiana Historic District · Photo: Smallbones · Public domainMore hazard damage per building is expected in Brookside than in 78% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brookside gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1994.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Brookside faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Brookside’s grade
River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in Brookside, and Brookside’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #37 of 37 in Delaware; higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Brookside’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Delaware town has lower expected damage than 65% of U.S. towns; within the state, Brookside has more expected damage per building than 100% of Delaware towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.8M a year in losses across Brookside: $3.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Brookside flood? Sometimes: 19 flood claims since 1994
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brookside, from FEMA’s records: 3.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 51% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irene5 claims · $52K
- Hurricane Floyd5 claims · $76K
Brookside isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: New Castle County.The storms Brookside remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for New Castle County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Brookside itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20116 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irene, declared for New Castle County
- 19995 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations, declared for New Castle County
- 20042 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding From the Remnants of, declared for New Castle County
New Castle County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Brookside after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brookside archive →Brookside and its neighbors
Brookside is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark | Cmore damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 47 |
| Brookside | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 19 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Brookside faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Brookside
Is Brookside at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brookside has higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Brookside flood?
Flood insurance has paid 19 claims in Brookside since 1994, $175K in all, or 3.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 51% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (5).
Is Brookside in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In New Castle County, 45% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Brookside?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brookside’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Brookside?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 5 paid, $52K.
Is Brookside at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and Brookside’s rate for it is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brookside.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brookside’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.