Natural hazards · Lawrence

Lawrence, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lawrence comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 211 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lawrence?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lawrence to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and inland flooding.

Coastal flooding29%Inland flooding26%Hurricanes17%Cold waves6%Wildfire6%Drought5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Lawrence faces

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

Coastal flooding

29% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Drought

5% of expected damage

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Lawrence flood?

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

211paid claims since 1978

$12.0Mpaid to owners

17homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 45 claims, $4.6M
Hurricane Ida: 29 claims, $3.8M
Hurricane Floyd: 17 claims, $696K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cumberland County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

43flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Lawrence

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LawrenceDeclared for Cumberland County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$162K to the Township of Lawrence for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$2K to the Township of Lawrence for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$19K to the Township of Lawrence for repairs

2009

Snowstorm

$10K to the Township of Lawrence for repairs

Cumberland County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Lawrence

Lawrence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Downemostly coastal floodingVery high

Lawrencemostly coastal floodingHigh

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Millvillemostly 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. Lawrence covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lawrence’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lawrence. 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 Lawrence total about $1.7M 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.