Natural hazards · Union

Union, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Union comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 361 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 Union?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Union to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Earthquakes12%Heat waves5%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Union faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Union flood?

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

361paid claims since 1978

$12.1Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 108 claims, $7.1M
Hurricane Irene: 100 claims, $2.7M
Hurricane Floyd: 41 claims, $633K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Union 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 Union

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UnionDeclared for Union County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,666 households applied for aid $6.4M aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

2,077 households applied for aid $179K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

657 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $50K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

163 households applied for aid $221K aid approved

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

Around Union

Union and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Millburnmostly inland floodingModerate

Irvingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Unionmostly inland floodingLow

Kenilworthmostly inland floodingLow

Maplewoodmostly inland floodingLow

Elizabethmostly inland floodingLow

Hillsidemostly 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. Union covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Union’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Union. 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 Union total about $13.2M 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.