Natural hazards · Mahwah

Mahwah, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mahwah comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 186 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 Mahwah?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding78%Earthquakes7%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Mahwah faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Mahwah flood?

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

186paid claims since 1979
$4.1Mpaid to owners
23homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 58 claims, $2.3M
  • Hurricane Floyd: 32 claims, $594K
  • Torrential rain: 13 claims, $238K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Mahwah isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bergen County.
Disasters that hit Mahwah

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MahwahDeclared for Bergen County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

106 households applied for aid $140K aid approved $270K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$174K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$180K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$76K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

136 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $362K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$113K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

138 households applied for aid $776K aid approved $129K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$72K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $28K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

20 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $67K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$109K to the Township of Mahwah for repairs
Bergen County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Mahwah

Mahwah and the towns around it

Ramsey: Low, mostly inland floodingAllendale: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Lakes: Low, mostly inland floodingWyckoff: Low, mostly inland floodingUpper Saddle River: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOakland: High, mostly inland floodingSaddle River: Low, mostly inland floodingWaldwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Haledon: Low, mostly inland floodingMidland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingRidgewood: High, mostly inland floodingHawthorne: High, mostly inland floodingMontvale: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoodcliff Lake: Very low, mostly inland floodingMahwah: Low, mostly inland flooding MahwahRamseyAllendaleFranklin LakesWyckoffUpper Saddle RiverOakland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Oaklandmostly inland floodingHigh
Upper Saddle Rivermostly inland floodingModerate
Mahwahmostly inland floodingLow
Allendalemostly inland floodingLow
Franklin Lakesmostly inland floodingLow
Wyckoffmostly inland floodingLow
Ramseymostly 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. Mahwah covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mahwah’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Mahwah. 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 Mahwah total about $8.7M 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.

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