TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
South PlainfieldGood afternoon
Natural hazards · South Plainfield

South Plainfield, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 353 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is South Plainfield?

59
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in South Plainfield to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Earthquakes7%Everything else19%
By hazard

What South Plainfield faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 South Plainfield flood?

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

353paid claims since 1978
$10.2Mpaid to owners
63homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 84 claims, $2.2M
  • Hurricane Ida: 55 claims, $3.0M
  • 2025 July NYC Metro Area Flooding: 44 claims, $2.0M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (26) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. South Plainfield 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit South Plainfield

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in South Plainfield itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of South Plainfield.

Brought FEMA money into South PlainfieldDeclared for Middlesex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

595 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $373K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$93K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

433 households applied for aid $47K aid approved $571K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$96K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

407 households applied for aid $953K aid approved $195K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$73K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

87 households applied for aid $155K aid approved $80K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

90 households applied for aid $98K aid approved $69K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$50K to the Borough of South Plainfield for repairs
Middlesex County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around South Plainfield

South Plainfield and the towns around it

Piscataway: High, mostly inland floodingEdison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Brunswick: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Very high, mostly inland floodingDunellen: Very high, mostly inland floodingSouth Bound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingHighland Park: High, mostly inland floodingSayreville: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Brunswick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Plainfield: Moderate, mostly inland flooding South PlainfieldPiscatawayEdison
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Piscatawaymostly inland floodingHigh
South Plainfieldmostly 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. South Plainfield covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of South Plainfield. 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 South Plainfield total about $10.9M 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in South Plainfield, NJView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

South Plainfield is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map