TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
ChesterGood evening
Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2006. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Chester?

40
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Cold waves6%Everything else19%
By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Chester flood?

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

3paid claims since 2006
$19Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20062026

Biggest named events

  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $12K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Chester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Morris County.
Disasters that hit Chester

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Morris County only
2021

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$103K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$133K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$33K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$292K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$37K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$51K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$33K to the Township of Chester for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$16K to the Township of Chester for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$13K to the Township of Chester for repairs
Morris County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Randolph: Low, mostly inland floodingWashington: Low, mostly inland floodingMendham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMount Olive: Low, mostly inland floodingBedminster: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTewksbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoxbury: Low, mostly inland floodingMine Hill: Low, mostly inland floodingVictory Gardens: Very low, mostly inland floodingRockaway: Low, mostly inland floodingDover: Very high, mostly inland floodingMansfield: Low, mostly inland floodingHackettstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLebanon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMendham: Low, mostly inland floodingBernardsville: Low, mostly inland floodingByram: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAllamuchy: Low, mostly inland floodingStanhope: Low, mostly cold wavesNetcong: Very low, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBranchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingReadington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeapack and Gladstone: High, mostly inland floodingFar Hills: High, mostly inland floodingBernards: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClinton: Low, mostly inland floodingCalifon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMount Arlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingHopatcong: Low, mostly cold wavesJefferson: Low, mostly inland floodingWharton: Low, mostly inland floodingChester: Moderate, mostly inland flooding ChesterRandolphWashingtonMendhamMount OliveBedminsterTewksburyRoxbury
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Bedminstermostly inland floodingModerate
Mendhammostly inland floodingModerate
Tewksburymostly inland floodingModerate
Chestermostly inland floodingModerate
Mount Olivemostly inland floodingLow
Randolphmostly inland floodingLow
Washingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Roxburymostly 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. Chester covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Chester. 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 Chester total about $3.8M 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.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Chester, NJMorris CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Chester is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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