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Natural hazards · Little Falls

Little Falls, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Little Falls comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,657 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Little Falls?

75
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Little Falls to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Little Falls faces

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

Inland flooding

82% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Little Falls flood?

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

1,657paid claims since 1978
$40.0Mpaid to owners
291homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 297 claims, $11.4M
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 221 claims, $4.3M
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 215 claims, $4.6M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 5 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (148) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Little Falls is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Passaic County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

103flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
82homes raised above flood level
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Little Falls

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Little FallsDeclared for Passaic County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

351 households applied for aid $994K aid approved $240K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$85K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

165 households applied for aid $43K aid approved $156K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$67K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$83K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

487 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $483K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

185 households applied for aid $193K aid approved $207K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

190 households applied for aid $228K aid approved $190K to the Township of Little Falls for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

143 households applied for aid $134K aid approved
Passaic County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Little Falls

Little Falls and the towns around it

Wayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoodland Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTotowa: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClifton: Low, mostly inland floodingMontclair: Low, mostly inland floodingCedar Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Caldwell: Low, mostly inland floodingLincoln Park: Very high, mostly inland floodingPequannock: High, mostly inland floodingPompton Lakes: Very high, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHaledon: Very high, mostly inland floodingNorth Haledon: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Lakes: Low, mostly inland floodingOakland: High, mostly inland floodingPaterson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGarfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPassaic: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNutley: High, mostly inland floodingRutherford: High, mostly inland floodingVerona: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Orange: Low, mostly inland floodingGlen Ridge: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Caldwell: Low, mostly inland floodingCaldwell: Low, mostly inland floodingLittle Falls: High, mostly inland flooding Little FallsWayneWoodland ParkTotowaCliftonMontclairCedar GroveNorth Caldwell
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Little Fallsmostly inland floodingHigh
Waynemostly inland floodingModerate
Woodland Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Totowamostly inland floodingModerate
Cedar Grovemostly inland floodingModerate
Cliftonmostly inland floodingLow
North Caldwellmostly inland floodingLow
Montclairmostly 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. Little Falls covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Little Falls’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Little Falls. 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 Little Falls total about $5.6M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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