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Natural hazards · Closter

Closter, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Closter comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 38 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Closter?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Closter to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Hurricanes6%Earthquakes6%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Closter faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Closter flood?

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

38paid claims since 1979
$682Kpaid to owners
7homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 8 claims, $368K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 6 claims, $75K
  • Not a named storm: 4 claims, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClosterDeclared for Bergen County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

90 households applied for aid $260K aid approved $113K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$168K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$35K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

35 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $248K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$118K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

16 households applied for aid $44K aid approved $45K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$31K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $94K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

38 households applied for aid $37K aid approved $19K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$24K to the Borough of Closter for repairs
Bergen County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Closter

Closter and the towns around it

Harrington Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorwood: Low, mostly inland floodingEmerson: Low, mostly inland floodingDemarest: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlpine: Very low, mostly inland floodingHaworth: Very low, mostly inland floodingRiver Vale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOld Tappan: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthvale: Low, mostly inland floodingRockleigh: Low, mostly inland floodingWestwood: High, mostly inland floodingOradell: Low, mostly inland floodingParamus: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCresskill: Low, mostly inland floodingTenafly: Low, mostly inland floodingYonkers: Low, mostly inland floodingHastings-on-Hudson: Low, mostly inland floodingGreenburgh: Very low, mostly inland floodingDumont: Low, mostly inland floodingCloster: Low, mostly inland flooding ClosterHarrington ParkNorwoodEmersonDemarestAlpineHaworth
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Harrington Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Demarestmostly inland floodingModerate
Clostermostly inland floodingLow
Norwoodmostly inland floodingLow
Emersonmostly inland floodingLow
Haworthmostly inland floodingVery low
Alpinemostly 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. Closter covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Closter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Closter. 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 Closter total about $2.5M 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.

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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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