Natural hazards · Alpine

Alpine, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alpine comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Alpine?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alpine to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes7%Tornadoes5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Alpine faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Alpine flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Alpine.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Alpine isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Bergen County.

Disasters that hit Alpine

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Alpine itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of Alpine.

Brought FEMA money into AlpineDeclared for Bergen County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

22 households applied for aid $57K aid approved $77K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$18K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

17 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $84K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$37K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

2 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $10K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $64K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$11K to the Borough of Alpine for repairs

Bergen County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Alpine

Alpine and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Demarestmostly inland floodingModerate

Cresskillmostly inland floodingLow

Hastings-on-Hudsonmostly inland floodingLow

Clostermostly inland floodingLow

Yonkersmostly inland floodingLow

Tenaflymostly inland floodingLow

Norwoodmostly inland floodingLow

Rockleighmostly inland floodingLow

Greenburghmostly inland floodingVery low

Alpinemostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Alpine covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alpine’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Alpine. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Alpine total about $587K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.