Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1988. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Cold waves14%Strong wind5%Hurricanes5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Washington flood?

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

23paid claims since 1988

$196Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19882026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 3 claims, $20K
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $50K
Torrential rain: 1 claim, $12K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Warren County.

Disasters that hit Washington

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Warren County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

56 households applied for aid $96K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

191 households applied for aid $29K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

117 households applied for aid $237K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

Warren County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hamptonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lebanonmostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingLow

Mansfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Oxfordmostly 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. Washington covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Washington. 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 Washington total about $3.4M 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.