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Natural hazards · New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in New Brunswick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 82 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is New Brunswick?

77
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in New Brunswick to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Earthquakes7%Everything else18%
By hazard

What New Brunswick faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 New Brunswick flood?

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

82paid claims since 1979
$5.0Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ida: 39 claims, $3.1M
  • Hurricane Irene: 21 claims, $1.1M
  • Hurricane Floyd: 3 claims, $121K

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. New Brunswick isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.
Disasters that hit New Brunswick

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in New Brunswick itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of New Brunswick.

Brought FEMA money into New BrunswickDeclared for Middlesex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

520 households applied for aid $959K aid approved $169K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$150K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,156 households applied for aid $148K aid approved $1.5M to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$10K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

255 households applied for aid $397K aid approved $307K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$72K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $64K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

39 households applied for aid $62K aid approved $71K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$534K to the City of New Brunswick for repairs
Middlesex County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around New Brunswick

New Brunswick and the towns around it

Highland Park: High, mostly inland floodingEdison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Brunswick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPiscataway: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Brunswick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSayreville: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Plainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontgomery: High, mostly inland floodingHillsborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Brunswick: Low, mostly inland floodingMillstone: Moderate, mostly inland floodingManville: High, mostly inland floodingRocky Hill: High, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Bound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingMilltown: Very high, mostly inland floodingOld Bridge: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth River: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpotswood: High, mostly inland floodingHelmetta: High, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Very high, mostly inland floodingDunellen: Very high, mostly inland floodingNew Brunswick: High, mostly inland flooding New BrunswickHighland ParkEdisonFranklinEast BrunswickPiscatawayNorth Brunswick
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
New Brunswickmostly inland floodingHigh
Piscatawaymostly inland floodingHigh
Highland Parkmostly inland floodingHigh
Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate
East Brunswickmostly inland floodingModerate
Edisonmostly inland floodingModerate
North Brunswickmostly 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. New Brunswick covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to New Brunswick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of New Brunswick. 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 New Brunswick total about $23.1M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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