Riverdale’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Riverdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 102 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Riverdale’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Riverdale flood? Yes: 102 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Riverdale, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene29 claims · $435K
- The March 2010 nor’easter21 claims · $137K
- The April 2007 nor’easter10 claims · $46K
Riverdale is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Morris County.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Riverdale
Disasters that paid out in Riverdale itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Riverdale) and its biggest flood years.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida13 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
- 2020Tropical Storm Isaias$25K to the Borough of Riverdale for repairs
- 2018Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$19K to the Borough of Riverdale for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy15 households applied for aid$44K to the Borough of Riverdale for repairs
- 2011Hurricane Irene39 households applied for aid$111K aid approved$36K to the Borough of Riverdale for repairs41 flood claims paid that year
- 2010Severe Storms and Flooding18 households applied for aid$11K aid approved$24K to the Borough of Riverdale for repairs21 flood claims paid that year
Show all 9
- 2007Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved10 flood claims paid that year
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$6K to the Borough of Riverdale for repairs
- 198416 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
Morris County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Old photos of Riverdale after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Riverdale archive →How exposed is Riverdale?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 510 of the 564 New Jersey towns we cover.
Riverdale covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Riverdale faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Get ready for what Riverdale actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
- Riverdale residents get 10% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Riverdale and its neighbors
Riverdale ranks 4th calmest of 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pompton Lakes | Very high | inland flooding | 2,301 |
| Bloomingdale | Very high | inland flooding | 68 |
| Riverdale | Very high | inland flooding | 102 |
| Pequannock | High | inland flooding | 2,037 |
| Butler | High | inland flooding | 29 |
| Kinnelon | Moderate | inland flooding | 2 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in August–October
The month each of Morris County’s 26 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Riverdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Riverdale.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Riverdale, expected losses total about $2.9M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Riverdale.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.