Natural hazards · Dunellen

Dunellen, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dunellen comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 362 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dunellen?

83
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dunellen to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Dunellen faces

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

Inland flooding

84% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Dunellen flood?

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

362paid claims since 1978
$6.4Mpaid to owners
60homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 91 claims, $936K
  • Hurricane Ida: 75 claims, $1.9M
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 46 claims, $562K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (19) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dunellen 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Dunellen

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DunellenDeclared for Middlesex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

202 households applied for aid $479K aid approved $758K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$19K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

296 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $338K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

163 households applied for aid $262K aid approved $139K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $61K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

22 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $23K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$121K to the Borough of Dunellen for repairs
Middlesex County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Dunellen

Dunellen and the towns around it

Green Brook: High, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Very high, mostly inland floodingPiscataway: High, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingWatchung: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Plainfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingWarren: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingSouth Bound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingNew Brunswick: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Plainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEdison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingScotch Plains: High, mostly inland floodingDunellen: Very high, mostly inland flooding DunellenGreen BrookMiddlesexPiscatawayPlainfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Middlesexmostly inland floodingVery high
Plainfieldmostly inland floodingVery high
Dunellenmostly inland floodingVery high
Green Brookmostly inland floodingHigh
Piscatawaymostly inland floodingHigh
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. Dunellen covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dunellen’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Dunellen. 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 Dunellen total about $3.5M 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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