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Natural hazards · Linden

Linden, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Linden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 299 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Linden?

23
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Linden to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding54%Earthquakes14%Heat waves5%Hurricanes5%Coastal flooding5%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Linden faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Coastal flooding

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Linden flood?

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

299paid claims since 1978
$8.4Mpaid to owners
30homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 76 claims, $2.5M
  • Hurricane Ida: 70 claims, $2.2M
  • Hurricane Sandy: 38 claims, $2.4M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Linden is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Union County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

43flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Linden

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LindenDeclared for Union County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,380 households applied for aid $5.3M aid approved $343K to the City of Linden for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$174K to the City of Linden for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

2,121 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $1.7M to the City of Linden for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$109K to the City of Linden for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

563 households applied for aid $977K aid approved $337K to the City of Linden for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

41 households applied for aid $87K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

65 households applied for aid $80K aid approved $57K to the City of Linden for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$41K to the City of Linden for repairs
Union County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Linden

Linden and the towns around it

Carteret: Low, mostly inland floodingRoselle: Very low, mostly inland floodingCranford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoodbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingElizabeth: Low, mostly inland floodingNew York: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: High, mostly inland floodingRahway: High, mostly inland floodingClark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Low, mostly inland floodingGarwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Low, mostly inland floodingRoselle Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: High, mostly inland floodingPerth Amboy: Very low, mostly inland floodingEdison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSayreville: Low, mostly inland floodingUnion: Low, mostly inland floodingNewark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBayonne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHillside: Low, mostly inland floodingHempstead: Low, mostly inland floodingYonkers: Low, mostly inland floodingMount Vernon: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Hempstead: Very low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingValley Stream: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham Manor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreat Neck Estates: Low, mostly inland floodingScotch Plains: High, mostly inland floodingLinden: Low, mostly inland flooding LindenCarteretRoselleCranfordWoodbridgeElizabethNew YorkWinfieldRahwayClark
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rahwaymostly inland floodingHigh
Winfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Cranfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Clarkmostly inland floodingModerate
Woodbridgemostly inland floodingLow
Carteretmostly inland floodingLow
Elizabethmostly inland floodingLow
Lindenmostly inland floodingLow
New Yorkmostly inland floodingVery low
Rosellemostly inland floodingVery low
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. Linden covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Linden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Linden. 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 Linden total about $9.9M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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