Natural hazards · Little Ferry

Little Ferry, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Little Ferry comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,192 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Little Ferry?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Little Ferry to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and inland flooding.

Coastal flooding50%Inland flooding41%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Little Ferry faces

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

Coastal flooding

50% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Little Ferry flood?

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

1,192paid claims since 1979

$29.8Mpaid to owners

239homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 673 claims, $22.6M
Hurricane Irene: 215 claims, $4.1M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 90 claims, $923K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 4 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (11) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Little Ferry is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Bergen County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Little Ferry

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Little FerryDeclared for Bergen County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

172 households applied for aid $249K aid approved $89K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$128K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

2,341 households applied for aid $9.4M aid approved $1.1M to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$4K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

311 households applied for aid $719K aid approved $58K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$17K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $13K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

28 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $16K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$9K to the Borough of Little Ferry for repairs

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

Around Little Ferry

Little Ferry and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Moonachiemostly coastal floodingVery high

Little Ferrymostly coastal floodingVery high

South Hackensackmostly coastal floodingVery high

Ridgefieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Ridgefield Parkmostly 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. Little Ferry covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Little Ferry’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Little Ferry. 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 Ferry total about $8.6M 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.