Climate Risk Summary

Bethany Beach, DE Risk Profile

The primary drivers of climate-related financial risk in Bethany Beach, DE are Inland Flooding, Hurricane, and Coastal Flooding.

City-Wide Aggregation

These scores represent the population-weighted average across all residential blocks in Bethany Beach.

Primary Risks

Inland Flooding

$496,353

Expected Annual Loss for Bethany Beach

64.6Score

Relatively Moderate compared to US average

Bethany Beach
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Hurricane

$284,923

Expected Annual Loss for Bethany Beach

88.7Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Bethany Beach
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Coastal Flooding

$249,998

Expected Annual Loss for Bethany Beach

93.3Score

Very High compared to US average

Bethany Beach
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

City Boundary

Legend
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
Extreme

Financial Risk Inventory

MAJOR DRIVER
Inland Flooding
$496,353
Score: 64.6
MAJOR DRIVER
Hurricane
$284,923
Score: 88.7
MAJOR DRIVER
Coastal Flooding
$249,998
Score: 93.3
Cold Wave
$39,563
Score: 55.4
Tornado
$7,278
Score: 23.5
Strong Wind
$4,819
Score: 28.8
Earthquake
$4,848
Score: 19.4
Winter Weather
$3,379
Score: 65.9
Ice Storm
$3,087
Score: 47.8
Lightning
$2,949
Score: 25.2
Heat Wave
$2,391
Score: 4.7
Wildfire
$992
Score: 71.8
Hail
$183
Score: 7.1
Landslide
$1
Score: 37.9
Drought
$0
Score: 63.3

Recommended investments to protect your property value and reduce insurance liability based on your local risk profile.

💧Medium Investment

Inland Flooding Mitigation

Install a smart sump pump with battery backup and extend downspouts 10ft from foundation.

Risk Score: 64.6
🌀High Investment

Hurricane Mitigation

Install permanent hurricane shutters or upgrade to impact-resistant windows.

Risk Score: 88.7
🏠Low Investment

Coastal Flooding Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 93.3
🏠Low Investment

Cold Wave Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 55.4
🏠Low Investment

Winter Weather Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 65.9
🔥Low Investment

Wildfire Mitigation

Create a 5ft 'non-combustible' zone around your home using gravel or pavers instead of mulch.

Risk Score: 71.8
🏠Low Investment

Drought Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 63.3

Sources and Methodology

Spatial Aggregation

Our "Atlas" risk scores are derived using a population-weighted spatial join. Because US Zip Codes and Census Tracts do not share perfectly aligned boundaries, a simple geographic average would be misleading. We utilize US Census Block Group population statistics to identify where residents actually live within a Zip Code. We then intersect these points with FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) hazard data to calculate a weighted exposure score.

Financial Projections (EAL)

Expected Annual Loss (EAL) estimates the average economic impact of natural hazards in dollars per year. This calculation incorporates three components: Exposure (the value of structures and agriculture), Annualized Frequency (historical probability), and Historic Loss Ratio (vulnerability of the area).

Primary Data Sources

  • FEMA National Risk IndexHazard frequency and loss data (v1.20.0)
  • U.S. Census BureauTIGER/Line 2025 Shapefiles & Decennial Population

Nearby Cities

Zip Codes in Bethany Beach