Natural hazards · Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fair Lawn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 291 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fair Lawn?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fair Lawn to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Earthquakes11%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Fair Lawn faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Fair Lawn flood?

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

291paid claims since 1978

$6.1Mpaid to owners

32homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 119 claims, $3.1M
Hurricane Floyd: 48 claims, $1.2M
April 2007 Nor'easter: 39 claims, $444K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Fair Lawn 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 Fair Lawn

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fair LawnDeclared for Bergen County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

237 households applied for aid $489K aid approved $55K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$159K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$89K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$112K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

264 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $606K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$150K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

345 households applied for aid $631K aid approved $336K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$70K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $101K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

133 households applied for aid $108K aid approved $85K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $443 aid approved

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$384K to the Borough of Fair Lawn for repairs

Bergen County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochelle Parkmostly inland floodingHigh

Hawthornemostly inland floodingHigh

Glen Rockmostly inland floodingHigh

Saddle Brookmostly inland floodingHigh

Patersonmostly inland floodingModerate

Paramusmostly inland floodingModerate

Fair Lawnmostly inland floodingModerate

Elmwood Parkmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Fair Lawn covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fair Lawn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Fair Lawn. 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 Fair Lawn total about $8.9M 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.