Natural hazards · Bridgeton

Bridgeton, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bridgeton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bridgeton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bridgeton to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding32%Cold waves20%Hurricanes15%Heat waves9%Earthquakes8%Tornadoes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Bridgeton faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 12% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bridgeton flood?

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

9paid claims since 1980

$78Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $8K
Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $10K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cumberland County.

Disasters that hit Bridgeton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BridgetonDeclared for Cumberland County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

69 households applied for aid $108K aid approved $69K to the City of Bridgeton for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$140K to the City of Bridgeton for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

876 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $35K to the City of Bridgeton for repairs

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2.5M to the City of Bridgeton for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

67 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

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

Around Bridgeton

Bridgeton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Bridgetonmostly inland floodingVery low

Hopewellmostly inland floodingVery low

Upper Deerfieldmostly 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. Bridgeton covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bridgeton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bridgeton. 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 Bridgeton total about $4.5M 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.