Natural hazards · Piscataway

Piscataway, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Piscataway comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 232 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 Piscataway?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Piscataway to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Earthquakes6%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Piscataway faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% 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 Piscataway flood?

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

232paid claims since 1979

$12.8Mpaid to owners

42homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 68 claims, $7.4M
Hurricane Irene: 49 claims, $1.9M
April 2007 Nor'easter: 30 claims, $557K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (13) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Piscataway 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 Piscataway

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PiscatawayDeclared for Middlesex County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,636 households applied for aid $6.3M aid approved $1.0M to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$133K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,499 households applied for aid $267K aid approved $3.2M to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2011

Severe Storm

$154K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

787 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved $274K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$73K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

43 households applied for aid $80K aid approved $18K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

131 households applied for aid $139K aid approved $55K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$104K to the Township of Piscataway for repairs

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

Around Piscataway

Piscataway and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Middlesexmostly inland floodingVery high

Dunellenmostly inland floodingVery high

South Bound Brookmostly inland floodingVery high

New Brunswickmostly inland floodingHigh

Piscatawaymostly inland floodingHigh

South Plainfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Edisonmostly 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. Piscataway covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Piscataway’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Piscataway. 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 Piscataway total about $26.9M 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.