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Natural hazards · Paterson

Paterson, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paterson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,078 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 Paterson?

58
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paterson to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Earthquakes7%Heat waves5%Cold waves5%Strong wind5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Paterson faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Paterson flood?

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

1,078paid claims since 1978
$41.8Mpaid to owners
196homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 285 claims, $15.8M
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 170 claims, $4.7M
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 114 claims, $4.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 4 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (48) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

33flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Paterson

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PatersonDeclared for Passaic County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

2,411 households applied for aid $4.9M aid approved $3.1M to the City of Paterson for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$76K to the City of Paterson for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

3,403 households applied for aid $369K aid approved $1.1M to the City of Paterson for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$73K to the City of Paterson for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$881K to the City of Paterson for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

3,079 households applied for aid $6.0M aid approved $1.0M to the City of Paterson for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$139K to the City of Paterson for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

292 households applied for aid $439K aid approved $541K to the City of Paterson for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

448 households applied for aid $484K aid approved $399K to the City of Paterson for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

94 households applied for aid $149K aid approved
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$99K to the City of Paterson for repairs
Passaic County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Paterson

Paterson and the towns around it

Fair Lawn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElmwood Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingProspect Park: High, mostly inland floodingHawthorne: High, mostly inland floodingHaledon: Very high, mostly inland floodingWoodland Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClifton: Low, mostly inland floodingTotowa: Moderate, mostly inland floodingParamus: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGlen Rock: High, mostly inland floodingSaddle Brook: High, mostly inland floodingRochelle Park: High, mostly inland floodingGarfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Haledon: Low, mostly inland floodingRidgewood: High, mostly inland floodingWyckoff: Low, mostly inland floodingWayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLittle Falls: High, mostly inland floodingPassaic: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontclair: Low, mostly inland floodingNutley: High, mostly inland floodingRutherford: High, mostly inland floodingPaterson: Moderate, mostly inland flooding PatersonFair LawnElmwood ParkProspect ParkHawthorneHaledonWoodland ParkCliftonTotowa
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Haledonmostly inland floodingVery high
Hawthornemostly inland floodingHigh
Prospect Parkmostly inland floodingHigh
Woodland Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Patersonmostly inland floodingModerate
Totowamostly inland floodingModerate
Fair Lawnmostly inland floodingModerate
Elmwood Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Cliftonmostly 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. Paterson covers 40 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paterson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Paterson. 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 Paterson total about $34.5M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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