Dennis’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dennis comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 2010. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Dennis’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Dennis?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.
Calmer than 286 of the 564 New Jersey towns we cover.
Dennis covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
What Dennis faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Hurricanes
Strong wind
Heat waves
Coastal flooding
Does Dennis flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 2010
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dennis, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy7 claims · $936K
- The Winter Storm Jonas4 claims · $32K
- The March 2010 nor’easter2 claims · $5K
Dennis isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cape May County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Dennis
Disasters that paid out in Dennis itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Township of Dennis) and its biggest flood years.
- 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$6K to the Township of Dennis for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy$19K to the Township of Dennis for repairs7 flood claims paid that year
- 2010Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$23K to the Township of Dennis for repairs
Cape May County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Old photos of Dennis after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Dennis archive →Get ready for what Dennis actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Dennis and its neighbors
Dennis ranks 2nd calmest of 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Isle City | Very high | inland flooding | 2,367 |
| Middle | High | inland flooding | 738 |
| Maurice River | High | coastal flooding | 124 |
| Upper | High | inland flooding | 388 |
| Dennis | Moderate | inland flooding | 16 |
| Woodbine | Low | hurricanes | 0 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in August–October
The month each of Cape May County’s 27 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Dennis’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Dennis.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Dennis, expected losses total about $3.9M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Dennis.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.