Natural hazards · Springfield

Springfield, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Springfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 337 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Springfield?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Springfield to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Earthquakes6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Springfield faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% 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

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Springfield flood?

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

337paid claims since 1978

$8.7Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 125 claims, $4.5M
Hurricane Ida: 69 claims, $3.0M
Hurricane Floyd: 55 claims, $616K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Springfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Union County.

Disasters that hit Springfield

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpringfieldDeclared for Union County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

333 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

455 households applied for aid $47K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

304 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

21 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

Union County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Springfield

Springfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Millburnmostly inland floodingModerate

Cranfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Summitmostly inland floodingModerate

Unionmostly inland floodingLow

Kenilworthmostly inland floodingLow

Westfieldmostly 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. Springfield covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Springfield’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Springfield. 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 Springfield total about $7.2M 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.