Natural hazards · North Bergen

North Bergen, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in North Bergen comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 109 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is North Bergen?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in North Bergen to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Coastal flooding12%Heat waves12%Earthquakes6%Hurricanes5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What North Bergen faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Heat waves

12% 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 66% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 North Bergen flood?

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

109paid claims since 1978

$5.3Mpaid to owners

17homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 16 claims, $3.7M
Hurricane Ida: 11 claims, $204K
Not a named storm: 6 claims, $117K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. North Bergen isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hudson County.

Disasters that hit North Bergen

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into North BergenDeclared for Hudson County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

995 households applied for aid $4.1M aid approved $647K to the Township of North Bergen for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$129K to the Township of North Bergen for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

805 households applied for aid $144K aid approved $587K to the Township of North Bergen for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

91 households applied for aid $163K aid approved $82K to the Township of North Bergen for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the Township of North Bergen for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

15 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Hudson County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around North Bergen

North Bergen and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Carlstadtmostly coastal floodingVery high

Edgewatermostly inland floodingVery high

Ridgefieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Secaucusmostly inland floodingHigh

West New Yorkmostly inland floodingHigh

Jersey Citymostly inland floodingModerate

Guttenbergmostly inland floodingModerate

Fairviewmostly inland floodingModerate

North Bergenmostly inland floodingModerate

Union Citymostly 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. North Bergen covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to North Bergen’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of North Bergen. 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 North Bergen total about $12.3M 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.