TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
LafayetteGood morning
Natural hazards · Lafayette

Lafayette, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lafayette comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2005. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lafayette?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lafayette to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding52%Cold waves22%Strong wind13%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Lafayette faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

13% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Lafayette flood?

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

5paid claims since 2005
$25Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20052026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $13K
  • Hurricane Irene: 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. Lafayette isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Sussex County.
Disasters that hit Lafayette

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LafayetteDeclared for Sussex County only
2021

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$48K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

36 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $45K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$31K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

82 households applied for aid $132K aid approved $60K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$19K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $461 aid approved
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved
2000

Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides

$2K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs
Sussex County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Lafayette

Lafayette and the towns around it

Hampton: Low, mostly inland floodingHardyston: Low, mostly inland floodingSparta: Low, mostly inland floodingFrankford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingStillwater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFredon: Low, mostly inland floodingWantage: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHamburg: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingOgdensburg: Low, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Milford: High, mostly inland floodingSandyston: High, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingGreen: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingByram: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLafayette: Low, mostly inland flooding LafayetteHamptonHardystonSpartaFrankfordAndover
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Frankfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Lafayettemostly inland floodingLow
Hamptonmostly inland floodingLow
Andovermostly inland floodingLow
Hardystonmostly inland floodingLow
Spartamostly 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. Lafayette covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lafayette’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lafayette. 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 Lafayette total about $1.2M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Lafayette, NJSussex CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Lafayette is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map