Natural hazards · Bridgewater

Bridgewater, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bridgewater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 225 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bridgewater?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bridgewater to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Earthquakes5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Bridgewater faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Bridgewater flood?

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

225paid claims since 1978

$9.4Mpaid to owners

16homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 62 claims, $5.9M
Hurricane Irene: 48 claims, $1.7M
Hurricane Floyd: 37 claims, $1.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Somerset County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

22homes raised above flood level

7flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Bridgewater

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BridgewaterDeclared for Somerset County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

831 households applied for aid $3.4M aid approved $1.9M to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$555K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$200K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

439 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $993K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$150K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

271 households applied for aid $578K aid approved $433K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$117K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $31K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

23 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $10K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$226K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

Somerset County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Bridgewater

Bridgewater and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bound Brookmostly inland floodingVery high

Middlesexmostly inland floodingVery high

Green Brookmostly inland floodingHigh

Manvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Somervillemostly inland floodingHigh

Raritanmostly inland floodingHigh

Branchburgmostly inland floodingModerate

Bedminstermostly inland floodingModerate

Bridgewatermostly inland floodingModerate

Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Bernardsmostly inland floodingModerate

Warrenmostly inland floodingModerate

Hillsboroughmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Bridgewater covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bridgewater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bridgewater. 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 Bridgewater total about $22.5M 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.