Natural hazards · Garwood

Garwood, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 45 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Garwood?

17
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garwood to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Earthquakes14%Everything else25%
By hazard

What Garwood faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% 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 Garwood flood?

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

45paid claims since 1978
$1.1Mpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 22 claims, $577K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 7 claims, $81K
  • 2025 July NYC Metro Area Flooding: 2 claims, $99K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Garwood 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 Garwood

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GarwoodDeclared for Union County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

85 households applied for aid $100K aid approved $210K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$22K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

36 households applied for aid $500 aid approved $108K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$14K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

30 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $47K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$18K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

4 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$33K to the Borough of Garwood for repairs
Union County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Garwood

Garwood and the towns around it

Cranford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Low, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Low, mostly inland floodingLinden: Low, mostly inland floodingClark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoselle: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: High, mostly inland floodingRoselle Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: High, mostly inland floodingMountainside: Low, mostly inland floodingScotch Plains: High, mostly inland floodingGarwood: Very low, mostly inland flooding GarwoodCranfordWestfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Cranfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Westfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Garwoodmostly 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. Garwood covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Garwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Garwood. 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 Garwood total about $1.1M 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