Natural hazards · Harrison

Harrison, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harrison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1992. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Harrison?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harrison to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Heat waves6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Harrison faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

WildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Harrison flood?

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

35paid claims since 1992

$5.5Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 25 claims, $5.3M
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $31K
Hurricane Ida: 3 claims, $181K

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

Insurance rates: Hudson County.

Disasters that hit Harrison

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarrisonDeclared for Hudson County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

58 households applied for aid $84K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

505 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

38 households applied for aid $97K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Hudson County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Harrison

Harrison and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Newarkmostly inland floodingVery high

Harrisonmostly inland floodingVery high

Kearnymostly inland floodingHigh

Newarkmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Harrison covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Harrison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Harrison. 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 Harrison total about $7.1M 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.