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Natural hazards · Carteret

Carteret, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carteret comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 196 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 Carteret?

33
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carteret to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes10%Strong wind6%Cold waves6%Coastal flooding6%Tornadoes5%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Carteret faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Carteret flood?

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

196paid claims since 1979
$4.8Mpaid to owners
45homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 63 claims, $2.5M
  • Hurricane Ida: 38 claims, $1.4M
  • Hurricane Irene: 34 claims, $491K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Carteret isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.
Disasters that hit Carteret

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarteretDeclared for Middlesex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

525 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved $3.1M to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$80K to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,403 households applied for aid $2.8M aid approved $2.1M to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$12K to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

360 households applied for aid $868K aid approved $410K to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$63K to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $35K aid approved $86K to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

40 households applied for aid $39K aid approved
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$18K to the Borough of Carteret for repairs
Middlesex County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Carteret

Carteret and the towns around it

Woodbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingLinden: Low, mostly inland floodingNew York: Very low, mostly inland floodingPerth Amboy: Very low, mostly inland floodingEdison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRahway: High, mostly inland floodingSayreville: Low, mostly inland floodingRoselle: Very low, mostly inland floodingCranford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElizabeth: Low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: High, mostly inland floodingClark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHempstead: Low, mostly inland floodingYonkers: Low, mostly inland floodingMount Vernon: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Hempstead: Very low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingValley Stream: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham Manor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBayonne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreat Neck Estates: Low, mostly inland floodingCarteret: Low, mostly inland flooding CarteretWoodbridgeLindenNew York
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Woodbridgemostly inland floodingLow
Carteretmostly inland floodingLow
Lindenmostly 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. Carteret covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carteret’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Carteret. 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 Carteret total about $5.2M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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