Natural hazards · Fanwood

Fanwood, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fanwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fanwood?

81
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fanwood to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Fanwood faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% 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 Fanwood flood?

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

12paid claims since 1979
$154Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • 2025 July NYC Metro Area Flooding: 3 claims, $101K
  • Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $7K
  • Hurricane Ida: 2 claims, $29K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fanwood 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 Fanwood

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FanwoodDeclared for Union County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

106 households applied for aid $574K aid approved
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$22K to the Borough of Fanwood for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

137 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $294K to the Borough of Fanwood for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

127 households applied for aid $274K aid approved
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$12K to the Borough of Fanwood for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$55K to the Borough of Fanwood for repairs
Union County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Fanwood

Fanwood and the towns around it

Scotch Plains: High, mostly inland floodingClark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBerkeley Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWatchung: High, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Low, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingFanwood: Very high, mostly inland flooding FanwoodScotch Plains
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Fanwoodmostly inland floodingVery high
Scotch Plainsmostly 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. Fanwood covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fanwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Fanwood. 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 Fanwood total about $3.7M 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