Natural hazards · Franklin

Franklin, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Franklin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Franklin?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Franklin to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding45%Cold waves29%Strong wind15%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Franklin faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

29% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

15% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Franklin flood?

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

9paid claims since 1979

$76Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $47K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $479
March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $3K

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. Franklin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Sussex County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

14homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Franklin

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FranklinDeclared for Sussex County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

32 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

112 households applied for aid $172K aid approved

Sussex County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Franklin

Franklin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hamburgmostly inland floodingHigh

Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Ogdensburgmostly inland floodingLow

Hardystonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Franklin covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Franklin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Franklin. 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 Franklin total about $1.9M 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.