Frenchtown’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Frenchtown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 92 claims here since 1984. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Frenchtown’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
11 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Frenchtown
Disasters that paid out in Frenchtown itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Frenchtown) and its biggest flood years.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida57 households applied for aid$170K aid approved$46K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
- 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$42K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy36 households applied for aid$3K aid approved$162K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
- 2011Severe Storm$8K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
- 2011Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee$16K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
- 2011Hurricane Irene37 households applied for aid$82K aid approved$61K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
Show all 11
- 2010Severe Storms and Flooding$14K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding19 households applied for aid$12K aid approved$57K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs30 flood claims paid that year
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding24 households applied for aid$40K aid approved28 flood claims paid that year
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding13 households applied for aid$35K aid approved$36K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs17 flood claims paid that year
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$44K to the Borough of Frenchtown for repairs
Hunterdon County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Old photos of Frenchtown after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Frenchtown archive →How exposed is Frenchtown?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 480 of the 564 New Jersey towns we cover.
Frenchtown is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What Frenchtown faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Strong wind
Does Frenchtown flood? Sometimes: 92 flood claims since 1984
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Frenchtown, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Ida4 claims · $138K
- The Torrential rain4 claims · $64K
- The April 2007 nor’easter1 claim · $8K
Frenchtown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hunterdon County.Get ready for what Frenchtown actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Frenchtown and its neighbors
Frenchtown ranks 3rd calmest of 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frenchtown | High | inland flooding | 92 |
| Kingwood | High | inland flooding | 136 |
| Alexandria | High | inland flooding | 23 |
| Tinicum | Moderate | inland flooding | 309 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in August–October
The month each of Hunterdon County’s 19 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Frenchtown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Frenchtown.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Frenchtown.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.