Mill Creek Friends Meetinghouse · Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey Earl Brooks, Photographer · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in North Star than in 70% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Star gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns, #15 of 37 in Delaware. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2004.
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 North Star 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 North Star’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Star, and North Star’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #15 of 37 in Delaware; lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns (21,298).
North Star’s residents live in 2 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, North Star has less expected damage per building than 61% of Delaware towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across North Star: $2.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Star flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Star, from FEMA’s records: 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 94% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
North Star 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 North Star remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for New Castle County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Star itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20041 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 North Star after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Star archive →North Star and its neighbors
North Star has the lowest expected damage per building of the 4 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Star | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Pike Creek | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Hockessin | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| London Britain Township | Cmore damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 North Star 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 North Star
Is North Star at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Star has lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #15 of 37 in Delaware. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does North Star flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in North Star since 2004, $8K in all, or 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 94% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is North Star 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 North Star?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Star’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is North Star at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and North Star’s rate for it is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Star.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Star’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.