Natural hazards · Bayonne

Bayonne, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bayonne comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 126 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bayonne?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bayonne to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Heat waves11%Earthquakes7%Hurricanes5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Bayonne faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Bayonne flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bayonne, from FEMA’s records.

126paid claims since 1979

$3.9Mpaid to owners

16homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 53 claims, $1.9M
Hurricane Sandy: 23 claims, $1.4M
Hurricane Irene: 7 claims, $65K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hudson County.

Disasters that hit Bayonne

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BayonneDeclared for Hudson County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,213 households applied for aid $3.5M aid approved $294K to the City of Bayonne for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$198K to the City of Bayonne for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

4,364 households applied for aid $4.7M aid approved $1.8M to the City of Bayonne for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

261 households applied for aid $217K aid approved $76K to the City of Bayonne for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$251K to the City of Bayonne for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

42 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

Hudson County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Bayonne

Bayonne and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jersey Citymostly inland floodingModerate

Newarkmostly inland floodingModerate

Bayonnemostly inland floodingModerate

Elizabethmostly inland floodingLow

New Yorkmostly 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. Bayonne covers 18 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bayonne’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bayonne. 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 Bayonne total about $13.9M 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.