14,385 flood insurance claims·$315.2M paid·8 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 Passaic 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 severe thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Passaic County, New Jersey. According to NOAA Storm Events Database records over the last 30 years, flash floods account for 135 events and 5 deaths, alongside 44 general floods, 5 tropical storms, and 5 coastal floods. Recent events illustrate this pattern, including widespread heavy rainfall on October 30, 2025, and slow-moving thunderstorms on August 18, 2024, which produced rainfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour and total amounts of 2 to 4 inches, resulting in widespread evening flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data demonstrates that flood risk extends beyond designated high-risk areas, though Zone A properties experience the heaviest impact with 13,071 claims averaging $25,358 and an average recorded water depth of 16 inches. However, properties in lower-risk zones also sustain damage. Zone X recorded 414 claims with an average payout of $36,591 and an average water depth of 15 inches; Zone X shaded recorded 403 claims averaging $30,987 with a 12-inch average water depth; and Zone X unshaded recorded 284 claims averaging $19,034 with a 14-inch average water depth. Properties with unknown zones recorded 199 claims averaging $7,943 and a 13-inch average water depth. Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents monitoring properties in Zone A and various Zone X designations should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns and claim histories.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5% of Passaic County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
13,758 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 16 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 4,042 claims and $135.9M paid, the year of Hurricane Irene, Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee and Severe Storm.
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.
63 NOAA storm reports from Passaic County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Jersey flood stories →
30 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 6, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2011 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 28, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 27, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 26, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
189 since 1996: 135 flash floods, 44 river or area floods and 5 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Oct 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Oct 30, 2025. A widespread heavy rainfall resulted in flash flooding as a frontal system triggered thunderstorms across the area.
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 with total rainfall am…
Flash Flood · Aug 6, 2024. Several rounds of heavy thunderstorms developed over the area on the afternoon of August 6th. A slow moving frontal system stalled out over the area. PWATs of 2-2.2 inches and a sharp gradient of MUCAPE peaking out over the area near 2500 J/kg allowed for the development of strong thunderstorms producing torrential rainfall with rates upwards of 1.5-2.5 inches per hour. Total rainfall was 1-3 inches with localized…
Flash Flood · Jun 25, 2023. A trough of low pressure over the area sparked slow moving thunderstorms with heavy rainfall over Northeast New jersey during the early afternoon of June 25th. A quick 1 to 2 inches of rainfall fell which resulted in very localized flash flooding.
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 Passaic 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.