Natural hazards · Wharton

Wharton, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wharton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2007. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Wharton?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding62%Cold waves13%Strong wind5%Everything else19%
By hazard

What Wharton 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 54% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Wharton flood?

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

5paid claims since 2007
$78Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20072026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $13K
  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $38K
  • Late winter storms: 1 claim, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Wharton 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 Wharton

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WhartonDeclared for Morris County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

24 households applied for aid $27K aid approved
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$36K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

140 households applied for aid $19K aid approved $99K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
2011

Severe Storm

$25K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

70 households applied for aid $156K aid approved $50K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$36K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $29K aid approved $23K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2000

Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides

$27K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$5K to the Borough of Wharton for repairs
Morris County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Wharton

Wharton and the towns around it

Mine Hill: Low, mostly inland floodingRockaway: Low, mostly inland floodingDover: Very high, mostly inland floodingRoxbury: Low, mostly inland floodingRandolph: Low, mostly inland floodingDenville: High, mostly inland floodingWest Milford: High, mostly inland floodingRockaway: High, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Low, mostly inland floodingBoonton: Very high, mostly inland floodingKinnelon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMount Arlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingHopatcong: Low, mostly cold wavesByram: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStanhope: Low, mostly cold wavesMount Olive: Low, mostly inland floodingNetcong: Very low, mostly inland floodingChester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWharton: Low, mostly inland flooding WhartonMine HillRockawayDoverRoxbury
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dovermostly inland floodingVery high
Whartonmostly inland floodingLow
Rockawaymostly inland floodingLow
Roxburymostly inland floodingLow
Mine Hillmostly 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. Wharton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wharton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Wharton. 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 Wharton total about $1.6M 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/18 · 2025-01-01