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Natural hazards · Montclair

Montclair, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montclair comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 223 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Montclair?

20
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montclair to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Heat waves9%Hurricanes6%Earthquakes6%Tornadoes5%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Montclair faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 40% 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

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Montclair flood?

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

223paid claims since 1978
$3.2Mpaid to owners
29homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 58 claims, $1.6M
  • Hurricane Irene: 48 claims, $418K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 35 claims, $262K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Montclair 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 Montclair

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontclairDeclared for Essex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

500 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $451K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$464K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$621K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$222K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

437 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $984K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$180K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

319 households applied for aid $458K aid approved $95K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$65K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

21 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $131K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

84 households applied for aid $85K aid approved
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$80K to the Township of Montclair for repairs
Essex County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Montclair

Montclair and the towns around it

Cedar Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVerona: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Orange: Low, mostly inland floodingGlen Ridge: Low, mostly inland floodingClifton: Low, mostly inland floodingLittle Falls: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Caldwell: Low, mostly inland floodingEssex Fells: Low, mostly inland floodingCity of Orange: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLivingston: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Orange Village: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMillburn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBloomfield: High, mostly inland floodingWoodland Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGarfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPassaic: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPaterson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNutley: High, mostly inland floodingRutherford: High, mostly inland floodingWayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTotowa: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontclair: Low, mostly inland flooding MontclairCedar GroveVeronaWest OrangeGlen RidgeCliftonLittle Falls
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Little Fallsmostly inland floodingHigh
Veronamostly inland floodingModerate
Cedar Grovemostly inland floodingModerate
West Orangemostly inland floodingLow
Glen Ridgemostly inland floodingLow
Cliftonmostly 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. Montclair covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Montclair’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Montclair. 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 Montclair 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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