Natural hazards · Berkeley Heights

Berkeley Heights, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berkeley Heights comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 67 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berkeley Heights?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berkeley Heights to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Berkeley Heights faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Berkeley Heights flood?

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

67paid claims since 1979

$2.0Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 12 claims, $128K
Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $97K
Hurricane Floyd: 9 claims, $69K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Union County.

Disasters that hit Berkeley Heights

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Berkeley Heights itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Berkeley Heights.

Brought FEMA money into Berkeley HeightsDeclared for Union County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

97 households applied for aid $181K aid approved $1.3M to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$82K to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

108 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $424K to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$247K to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

68 households applied for aid $107K aid approved $173K to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$54K to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$70K to the Township of Berkeley Heights for repairs

Union County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Berkeley Heights

Berkeley Heights and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Scotch Plainsmostly inland floodingHigh

Watchungmostly inland floodingHigh

Long Hillmostly inland floodingHigh

New Providencemostly inland floodingHigh

Chathammostly inland floodingHigh

Berkeley Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate

Warrenmostly inland floodingModerate

Summitmostly inland floodingModerate

Mountainsidemostly inland floodingLow

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. Berkeley Heights covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berkeley Heights’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Berkeley Heights. 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 Berkeley Heights total about $5.8M 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.