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Natural hazards · Rockaway

Rockaway, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rockaway comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 53 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 Rockaway?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rockaway to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Cold waves9%Everything else22%
By hazard

What Rockaway 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
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rockaway flood?

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

53paid claims since 1978
$600Kpaid to owners
6homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 12 claims, $298K
  • Not a named storm: 5 claims, $18K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 3 claims, $59K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RockawayDeclared for Morris County only
2021

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$177K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$56K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$108K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$89K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$289K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$48K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$50K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$77K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$18K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
2000

Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides

$6K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$21K to the Township of Rockaway for repairs
Morris County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Rockaway

Rockaway and the towns around it

Denville: High, mostly inland floodingWest Milford: High, mostly inland floodingWharton: Low, mostly inland floodingRockaway: High, mostly inland floodingDover: Very high, mostly inland floodingRandolph: Low, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Low, mostly inland floodingBoonton: Very high, mostly inland floodingKinnelon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingParsippany-Troy Hills: High, mostly inland floodingMorris: Low, mostly inland floodingRingwood: High, mostly inland floodingBloomingdale: Very high, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingButler: High, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHardyston: Low, mostly inland floodingMine Hill: Low, mostly inland floodingRoxbury: Low, mostly inland floodingChester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVictory Gardens: Very low, mostly inland floodingMendham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHopatcong: Low, mostly cold wavesMount Arlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingSparta: Low, mostly inland floodingMontville: Very high, mostly inland floodingBoonton: Very high, mostly inland floodingMountain Lakes: Low, mostly inland floodingRiverdale: Very high, mostly inland floodingPequannock: High, mostly inland floodingLincoln Park: Very high, mostly inland floodingRockaway: Low, mostly inland flooding RockawayDenvilleWest MilfordWhartonRockawayDoverRandolphJeffersonBoontonKinnelon
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Boontonmostly inland floodingVery high
Dovermostly inland floodingVery high
Rockawaymostly inland floodingHigh
West Milfordmostly inland floodingHigh
Denvillemostly inland floodingHigh
Kinnelonmostly inland floodingModerate
Rockawaymostly inland floodingLow
Whartonmostly inland floodingLow
Jeffersonmostly inland floodingLow
Randolphmostly 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. Rockaway covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rockaway’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Rockaway. 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 Rockaway total about $7.9M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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