Natural hazards · Hamilton

Hamilton, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hamilton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 247 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hamilton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hamilton to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes11%Strong wind8%Earthquakes6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Hamilton faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Hamilton flood?

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

247paid claims since 1978

$4.6Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 63 claims, $2.7M
Hurricane Floyd: 28 claims, $584K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 22 claims, $134K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Mercer County.

Disasters that hit Hamilton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HamiltonDeclared for Mercer County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

72 households applied for aid $133K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

192 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

204 households applied for aid $363K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

32 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

Mercer County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Hamilton

Hamilton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Trentonmostly inland floodingHigh

West Windsormostly inland floodingHigh

Lawrencemostly inland floodingHigh

Bordentownmostly inland floodingHigh

Upper Freeholdmostly inland floodingHigh

Hamiltonmostly inland floodingModerate

North Hanovermostly inland floodingLow

Chesterfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Robbinsvillemostly inland floodingLow

Fallsmostly 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. Hamilton covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hamilton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Hamilton. 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 Hamilton total about $34.6M 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.