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Natural hazards · Bernards

Bernards, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bernards comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 69 claims here since 1996. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bernards?

47
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bernards to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Everything else24%
By hazard

What Bernards faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bernards flood?

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

69paid claims since 1996
$2.3Mpaid to owners
7homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 23 claims, $1.4M
  • Hurricane Floyd: 15 claims, $302K
  • Hurricane Irene: 9 claims, $199K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Bernards is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Somerset County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Bernards

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BernardsDeclared for Somerset County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

$361K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$205K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$460K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$167K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$21K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$109K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$36K to the Township of Bernards for repairs
Somerset County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Bernards

Bernards and the towns around it

Harding: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarren: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLong Hill: High, mostly inland floodingBernardsville: Low, mostly inland floodingFar Hills: High, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBedminster: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMorris: Low, mostly inland floodingChatham: High, mostly inland floodingBerkeley Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWatchung: High, mostly inland floodingGreen Brook: High, mostly inland floodingMendham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeapack and Gladstone: High, mostly inland floodingBranchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingSomerville: High, mostly inland floodingManville: High, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Very high, mostly inland floodingHillsborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRaritan: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTewksbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingReadington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBernards: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BernardsHardingWarrenLong HillBernardsvilleFar HillsBridgewaterBedminster
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Long Hillmostly inland floodingHigh
Far Hillsmostly inland floodingHigh
Bedminstermostly inland floodingModerate
Bridgewatermostly inland floodingModerate
Hardingmostly inland floodingModerate
Bernardsmostly inland floodingModerate
Warrenmostly inland floodingModerate
Bernardsvillemostly 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. Bernards covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bernards’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bernards. 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 Bernards total about $10.8M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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