Betterton Historic District · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Betterton
Betterton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Betterton has 391 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2003.
What Betterton 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
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Strong wind
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.
Does Betterton flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2003
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Betterton, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Isabel2 claims · $304K
Betterton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kent County.10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Betterton
Disasters that paid out in Betterton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Betterton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$3K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy$2K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds$18K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 2011Hurricane Irene$10K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 2010Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms$3K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 2009Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$2K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
Show all 10
- 2003Hurricane Isabel2 households applied for aid$3K to the Town of Betterton for repairs2 flood claims paid for it, $304K
- 2003Snow$2K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 2000Severe Winter Storm$844 to the Town of Betterton for repairs
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$4K to the Town of Betterton for repairs
Kent County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Betterton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Betterton archive →Get ready for what Betterton 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.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Betterton
Does Betterton flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Betterton since 2003, $304K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Isabel (2).
Is Betterton 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 Kent County, 61% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 4.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Betterton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Betterton’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 Betterton?
By FEMA money that reached Betterton, Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds (2012): $18K to the Town of Betterton for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Isabel: 2 paid, $304K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Betterton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Betterton’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.