Natural hazards · Hawthorne

Hawthorne, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hawthorne comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 241 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hawthorne?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hawthorne to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Everything else22%

By hazard

What Hawthorne faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Hawthorne flood?

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

241paid claims since 1978

$4.8Mpaid to owners

23homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 19 claims, $731K
Hurricane Irene: 14 claims, $551K
Not a named storm: 13 claims, $70K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Passaic County.

Disasters that hit Hawthorne

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HawthorneDeclared for Passaic County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

145 households applied for aid $295K aid approved $62K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$28K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

141 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $287K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$18K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$6K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

110 households applied for aid $226K aid approved $145K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$54K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $24K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

73 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $40K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$117K to the Borough of Hawthorne for repairs

Passaic County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Hawthorne

Hawthorne and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ridgewoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Hawthornemostly inland floodingHigh

Prospect Parkmostly inland floodingHigh

Glen Rockmostly inland floodingHigh

Patersonmostly inland floodingModerate

Fair Lawnmostly inland floodingModerate

North Haledonmostly inland floodingLow

Wyckoffmostly 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. Hawthorne covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hawthorne’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Hawthorne. 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 Hawthorne total about $6.5M 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.