Natural hazards · Kearny

Kearny, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kearny comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 249 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kearny?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kearny to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding57%Coastal flooding21%Heat waves6%Earthquakes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Kearny faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

21% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Kearny flood?

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

249paid claims since 1978

$31.0Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 68 claims, $19.7M
Hurricane Ida: 18 claims, $1.6M
Not a named storm: 11 claims, $715K

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. Kearny 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 Kearny

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KearnyDeclared for Hudson County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

406 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $274K to the Town of Kearny for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$71K to the Town of Kearny for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

925 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $886K to the Town of Kearny for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

133 households applied for aid $323K aid approved $144K to the Town of Kearny for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$67K to the Town of Kearny for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

19 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $42K to the Town of Kearny for repairs

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

Around Kearny

Kearny and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Newarkmostly inland floodingVery high

Harrisonmostly inland floodingVery high

Lyndhurstmostly inland floodingHigh

Bellevillemostly inland floodingHigh

Kearnymostly inland floodingHigh

Secaucusmostly inland floodingHigh

North Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Jersey Citymostly inland floodingModerate

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. Kearny covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kearny’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kearny. 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 Kearny total about $14.0M 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.