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Natural hazards · Elizabeth

Elizabeth, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elizabeth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 228 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Elizabeth?

28
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elizabeth to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding52%Earthquakes12%Heat waves8%Strong wind6%Tornadoes5%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Elizabeth faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Elizabeth flood?

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

228paid claims since 1978
$7.9Mpaid to owners
20homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 22 claims, $2.9M
  • Hurricane Sandy: 12 claims, $3.7M
  • Hurricane Irene: 12 claims, $219K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElizabethDeclared for Union County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

2,813 households applied for aid $13.4M aid approved $12.3M to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$425K to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

6,617 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $6.5M to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$130K to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

1,365 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved $732K to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$227K to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $22K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

55 households applied for aid $96K aid approved $82K to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$70K to the City of Elizabeth for repairs
Union County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Elizabeth

Elizabeth and the towns around it

Union: Low, mostly inland floodingNewark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBayonne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLinden: Low, mostly inland floodingHillside: Low, mostly inland floodingNew York: Very low, mostly inland floodingRoselle Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingRoselle: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: High, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Low, mostly inland floodingMillburn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMaplewood: Low, mostly inland floodingIrvington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBelleville: High, mostly inland floodingSouth Orange Village: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKearny: High, mostly inland floodingEast Orange: Low, mostly inland floodingHarrison: Very high, mostly inland floodingBloomfield: High, mostly inland floodingEast Newark: Very high, mostly inland floodingJersey City: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCarteret: Low, mostly inland floodingCranford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoodbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: High, mostly inland floodingRahway: 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 floodingGreat Neck Estates: Low, mostly inland floodingElizabeth: Low, mostly inland flooding ElizabethUnionNewarkBayonneLindenHillsideNew YorkRoselle ParkRoselle
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Newarkmostly inland floodingModerate
Bayonnemostly inland floodingModerate
Unionmostly inland floodingLow
Elizabethmostly inland floodingLow
Hillsidemostly inland floodingLow
Lindenmostly inland floodingLow
New Yorkmostly inland floodingVery low
Roselle Parkmostly inland floodingVery low
Rosellemostly 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. Elizabeth covers 31 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elizabeth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Elizabeth. 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 Elizabeth total about $21.1M 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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