Natural hazards · Montgomery

Montgomery, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montgomery comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 115 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montgomery?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montgomery to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Montgomery 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 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 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 Montgomery flood?

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

115paid claims since 1978

$4.4Mpaid to owners

11homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 35 claims, $2.3M
Hurricane Irene: 33 claims, $1.3M
Hurricane Floyd: 17 claims, $461K

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. Montgomery isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Somerset County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

4homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Montgomery

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontgomeryDeclared for Somerset County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

$2.6M to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$79K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$173K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$33K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$214K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$139K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$221K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$23K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$178K to the Township of Montgomery for repairs

Somerset County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Montgomery

Montgomery and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Montgomerymostly inland floodingHigh

Rocky Hillmostly inland floodingHigh

Hopewellmostly inland floodingModerate

Princetonmostly inland floodingModerate

Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Hillsboroughmostly 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. Montgomery covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Montgomery’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Montgomery. 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 Montgomery total about $14.6M 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.