Natural hazards · Perth Amboy

Perth Amboy, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Perth Amboy comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 37 claims here since 1980. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Perth Amboy?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Perth Amboy to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding38%Earthquakes17%Cold waves10%Strong wind8%Tornadoes8%Heat waves8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Perth Amboy faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 11% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Perth Amboy flood?

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

37paid claims since 1980

$3.4Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 12 claims, $2.1M
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $152K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $379K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Perth Amboy is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Middlesex County.

Disasters that hit Perth Amboy

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Perth AmboyDeclared for Middlesex County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

255 households applied for aid $310K aid approved $216K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$178K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,344 households applied for aid $566K aid approved $11.3M to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$18K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

133 households applied for aid $113K aid approved $135K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$90K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $1.1M to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

9 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $118K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$212K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$25K to the City of Perth Amboy for repairs

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

Around Perth Amboy

Perth Amboy and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Woodbridgemostly inland floodingLow

Sayrevillemostly inland floodingLow

South Amboymostly inland floodingLow

New Yorkmostly inland floodingVery low

Perth Amboymostly inland floodingVery low

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. Perth Amboy covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Perth Amboy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Perth Amboy. 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 Perth Amboy total about $6.4M 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.