Natural hazards · Gloucester

Gloucester, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gloucester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gloucester?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gloucester to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Earthquakes9%Coastal flooding8%Heat waves5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Gloucester 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

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Coastal flooding

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Gloucester flood?

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

21paid claims since 1978

$728Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

April 2007 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $9K
Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $252K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Gloucester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Camden County.

Disasters that hit Gloucester

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GloucesterDeclared for Camden County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

20 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

54 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

16 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

Camden County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Gloucester

Gloucester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brooklawnmostly inland floodingHigh

Camdenmostly inland floodingHigh

Westvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Gloucester Citymostly inland floodingModerate

Philadelphiamostly inland floodingModerate

Haddonmostly inland floodingLow

Mount Ephraimmostly 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. Gloucester covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gloucester’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gloucester. 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 Gloucester total about $3.4M 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.