2,180 flood insurance claims·$28.9M paid·6 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Burlington County, New Jersey. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and recurring coastal flooding dominate the flood profile of Burlington County, New Jersey. Over the last 30 years, NOAA data records 87 flash flood events, 66 coastal flood events, 43 general floods, 29 storm surge or tide events, and 6 tropical storms. Recent impacts include a powerful coastal storm in October 2025 that caused moderate to locally major high tide levels over multiple cycles, and storm surge from Hurricane Erin combined with a New Moon in August 2025.
Federal insurance records show distinct vulnerabilities across flood zones. Zone A leads with 1,500 claims, averaging a payout of $19,942 with an average recorded water depth of 10 inches. Various Zone X designations account for hundreds of additional claims with average payouts ranging between $18,018 and $20,055 and average recorded water depths of 8 to 9 inches. Properties located in high-risk Zone A areas face the most significant threat and should pay the closest attention to flood risks, though homeowners in Zone X categories also experience meaningful water accumulation and claims.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
17% of Burlington County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,806 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 9 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2011, with 424 claims and $5.4M paid, the year of Hurricane Irene.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
44 NOAA storm reports from Burlington County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Jersey flood stories →
31 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | Aug 4, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 6, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 22, 2016 |
| Severe Storm | Jun 23, 2015 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 27, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 26, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
231 since 1996: 87 flash floods, 43 river or area floods and 95 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Aug 21, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 12, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2025. A stationary front sparked off showers and thunderstorms across the forecast area. Flash flooding resulted.
Coastal Flood · Aug 21, 2025. Storm surge from Hurricane Erin and an upcoming New Moon resulted in moderate to locally major high tide levels on the night of August 21, 2025 across coastal areas of New Jersey.
Flash Flood · Aug 17, 2025. A cold front was responsible for afternoon and evening thunderstorms. A few of these thunderstorms caused flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 14, 2025. An approaching cold front sparked off showers and thunderstorms across the forecast area. Flash flooding resulted.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Burlington County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.