824 flood insurance claims·$9.1M paid·7 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 Salem 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.
Salem County faces a mixed flood profile where coastal flooding and flash flooding occur with near-equal frequency. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 31 coastal flood events, 30 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, 21 storm surge or tide events, 19 general flood events resulting in 1 death, and 2 tropical storm events.
Recent events illustrate these varied hazards. On January 10, 2024, a strong system brought steady southerly flow and 2 to 4+ inches of rainfall, raising water levels on the tidal Delaware River. Later that year, on April 11, 2024, high astronomical tides combined with strong southerly flow caused flooding along the Delaware Bay, tidal Delaware River, and back bays. Heavy rainfall also triggered flash flooding, such as on July 9, 2023, when thunderstorms dropped 3 to around 5 inches of rain.
Federal Emergency Management Agency records indicate that flood insurance claims are heavily concentrated in high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for the vast majority with 654 claims, averaging a $21,327 payout and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone A, along with coastal and tidal areas, should pay the closest attention to flood risks and insurance requirements.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
8% of Salem County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
714 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 4 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 2012, with 150 claims and $3.9M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds and Hurricane Sandy.
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.
18 NOAA storm reports from Salem County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Jersey flood stories →
26 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | Aug 4, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 30, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 27, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 13, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Snowstorm | Dec 19, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
103 since 1996: 30 flash floods, 19 river or area floods and 52 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2023 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 29, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 29, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 9, 2025. A slow-moving cold front produced heavy rain and flash flooding across portions of the region.
Coastal Flood · Apr 11, 2024. High astronomical tides in addition to strong southerly flow resulted in higher water levels, mainly along the Delaware Bay and tidal Delaware River. However, some flooding was observed in the back bays as southerly flow prevented water from draining.
Coastal Flood · Jan 10, 2024. A strong system affected the region with steady southerly flow pushing water up into coastal communities both along the ocean and within the Delaware River/Bay and Chesapeake Bay. Water levels on the tidal Delaware River were higher due to 2 to 4+ inches of rainfall.
Coastal Flood · Mar 9, 2024. A coastal storm moved through, bringing strong onshore flow, which resulted in water piling up along the coast and within back bays and tributaries. Moderate coastal flooding was observed.
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 Salem 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.