Natural hazards · Hope

Hope, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hope comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1981. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hope?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hope to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Cold waves13%Hurricanes6%Strong wind5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Hope faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Hope flood?

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

17paid claims since 1981

$170Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 5 claims, $69K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $3K

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

Insurance rates: Warren County.

Disasters that hit Hope

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HopeDeclared for Warren County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$371K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1 household applied for aid $6K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$27K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$15K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $57K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$20K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$48K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

26 households applied for aid $42K aid approved $19K to the Township of Hope for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $26K to the Township of Hope for repairs

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

Around Hope

Hope and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whitemostly inland floodingHigh

Blairstownmostly inland floodingModerate

Hopemostly inland floodingModerate

Libertymostly inland floodingModerate

Knowltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Frelinghuysenmostly 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. Hope covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hope’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Hope. 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 Hope total about $4.2M 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.