Natural hazards · Fort Lee

Fort Lee, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Lee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 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 Fort Lee?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fort Lee to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Earthquakes9%Hurricanes7%Heat waves7%Cold waves6%Tornadoes5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Fort Lee faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Fort Lee flood?

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

15paid claims since 1978

$600Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 4 claims, $111K
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $26K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $364

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Fort Lee 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 Fort Lee

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fort LeeDeclared for Bergen County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

408 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $103K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$178K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$80K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$101K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

335 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $1.2M to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$66K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

41 households applied for aid $106K aid approved $127K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$73K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $71K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

21 households applied for aid $20K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$32K to the Borough of Fort Lee for repairs

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

Around Fort Lee

Fort Lee and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Edgewatermostly inland floodingVery high

Englewoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Palisades Parkmostly inland floodingLow

Leoniamostly inland floodingLow

Fort Leemostly inland floodingVery low

Englewood Cliffsmostly 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. Fort Lee covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Lee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Fort Lee. 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 Fort Lee total about $5.8M 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.