Enter any address in Essex County, New Jersey to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Essex County, NJ, with 135 occurrences in the last 30 years. These events have resulted in water rescues and vehicles stuck in floodwaters, as seen in August 2025. Heavy rainfall rates of 1-3 inches per hour have also caused widespread flash flooding, with total rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches reported in August 2024. Other flood types, including general floods, tropical storms, and coastal floods, have also impacted the county.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a significant number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $29,409 and an average water depth of 4.8 feet. Zone X also has a notable number of claims, with an average payout of $31,922 and an average water depth of 4.1 feet. Properties located in Zone A and Zone X may experience higher water depths and payouts. Homeowners in these zones, as well as those in Zone X_SHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
78 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Essex County, New Jersey has recorded 168 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 135 flash floods and 28 river or area floods. The county has received 33 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | Hurricane | Aug 4, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Mar 6, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Jan 22, 2016 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storm | Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Dec 26, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 13, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2021 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 13, 2025
Thunderstorm moved across northeast New Jersey resulting in a water rescue across Hudson County, cars stuck in flood waters across Essex County and Road closures across Union County.
Flash Flood — Aug 18, 2024
A frontal system over the area on August 18th produced heavy thunderstorms that were fairly slow moving over northeast New Jersey. A cold front moving in from the west late in the afternoon produced heavy thunderstorms with an environmental MUCAPE of 2000-3000 J/kg and PWAT values of 1.7-1.8 inches. These slow moving thunderstorms produce rainfall rates of 1-3 inches per hour over New Jersey wi...
Coastal Flood — Jan 13, 2024
Strong low pressure shifted northeast through the eastern Great Lakes on January 13, 2024, sending a warm front through during the morning hours, followed quickly by a cold front. Strong winds produced by this system, combined with peaking high astronomical tides associated with a recent new moon, produced widespread moderate coastal flooding along the tidal waterways of Northeast New Jersey.
Flash Flood — Dec 18, 2023
A warm front ahead of a developing coastal low pressure system positions itself over the area late on December 17th and into December 18th. As the low pressure intensified and approached, significant amounts of moisture focused along the warm front ahead of the coastal low resulting in widespread areas of heavy rainfall that occurred over a 12-18 hour period. PWATs were 1.5-1.7 inches which wer...
Flash Flood — Sep 13, 2022
A batch of moderate rainfall with embedded heavy thunderstorms moved through the area on September 13th bringing flash flooding to the New York City metro area. These thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front with a low pressure developing overhead in an extremely moisture environment that had precipitable water values of 1.8-2. These thunderstorms dropped between 1 and 3 inches of rainfall...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Essex County, New Jersey:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Essex County, New Jersey that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.