Natural hazards · Hillside

Hillside, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hillside comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 199 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 Hillside?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hillside to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Earthquakes12%Heat waves6%Strong wind5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Hillside 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

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Hillside flood?

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

199paid claims since 1978

$3.1Mpaid to owners

34homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 43 claims, $380K
Hurricane Ida: 33 claims, $2.1M
Hurricane Irene: 16 claims, $266K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hillside 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 Hillside

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HillsideDeclared for Union County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

801 households applied for aid $4.2M aid approved $1.0M to the Township of Hillside for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$91K to the Township of Hillside for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,496 households applied for aid $306K aid approved $980K to the Township of Hillside for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$87K to the Township of Hillside for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

296 households applied for aid $518K aid approved $48K to the Township of Hillside for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$41K to the Township of Hillside for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

86 households applied for aid $85K aid approved

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$43K to the Township of Hillside for repairs

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

Around Hillside

Hillside and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Newarkmostly inland floodingModerate

Unionmostly inland floodingLow

Elizabethmostly inland floodingLow

Hillsidemostly 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. Hillside covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hillside’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Hillside. 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 Hillside total about $4.6M 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.