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Natural hazards · Maplewood

Maplewood, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Maplewood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 86 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Maplewood?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Maplewood to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Heat waves9%Earthquakes6%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Maplewood faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Maplewood flood?

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

86paid claims since 1978
$2.0Mpaid to owners
13homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 16 claims, $755K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 15 claims, $502K
  • Hurricane Irene: 13 claims, $255K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MaplewoodDeclared for Essex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

522 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $3.4M to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$209K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$121K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$120K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

809 households applied for aid $81K aid approved $894K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$157K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

302 households applied for aid $463K aid approved $427K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$53K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

41 households applied for aid $37K aid approved $10K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$263K to the Township of Maplewood for repairs
Essex County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Maplewood

Maplewood and the towns around it

Irvington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewark: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Orange Village: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMillburn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingUnion: Low, mostly inland floodingBelleville: High, mostly inland floodingElizabeth: Low, mostly inland floodingKearny: High, mostly inland floodingEast Orange: Low, mostly inland floodingHarrison: Very high, mostly inland floodingBloomfield: High, mostly inland floodingBayonne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Newark: Very high, mostly inland floodingHillside: Low, mostly inland floodingCity of Orange: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Orange: Low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: High, mostly inland floodingFlorham Park: Low, mostly inland floodingChatham: High, mostly inland floodingSummit: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLivingston: Low, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Low, mostly inland floodingMaplewood: Low, mostly inland flooding MaplewoodIrvingtonNewarkSouth Orange VillageMillburnUnion
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Millburnmostly inland floodingModerate
South Orange Villagemostly inland floodingModerate
Irvingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Newarkmostly inland floodingModerate
Unionmostly inland floodingLow
Maplewoodmostly 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. Maplewood covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Maplewood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Maplewood. 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 Maplewood total about $6.5M 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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