Question 1

Which county in New Jersey has the highest natural disaster risk?

Accepted Answer

Bergen County has the highest natural disaster risk score in New Jersey at 97.8 (Relatively High), based on FEMA National Risk Index data.

Question 2

Which county in New Jersey is the safest from natural disasters?

Accepted Answer

Salem County has the lowest natural disaster risk score in New Jersey at 76.5 (Relatively Low), based on FEMA NRI data.

Question 3

What natural disasters are most common in New Jersey?

Accepted Answer

New Jersey counties face varying levels of risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The FEMA National Risk Index scores each county across 18 hazard types. See individual county pages for detailed hazard breakdowns.

Question 4

How is natural disaster risk measured by county?

Accepted Answer

The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) measures natural disaster risk using expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Scores are normalized nationally, with ratings from Very Low to Very High across 18 natural hazard types.

County	Risk Score	Rating	Flood	Wildfire	Tornado	Earthquake
Bergen County	97.8	Relatively High	100.0	21.7	92.3	96.0
Middlesex County	97.8	Relatively High	98.9	79.7	94.5	96.2
Essex County	97.7	Relatively High	98.8	10.6	94.9	95.6
Hudson County	97.2	Relatively High	98.6	4.5	90.7	95.3
Monmouth County	96.3	Relatively High	95.8	88.8	55.1	94.0
Ocean County	96.2	Relatively High	98.2	95.2	47.2	92.2
Passaic County	95.8	Relatively High	97.8	16.1	88.8	93.6
Union County	95.5	Relatively High	97.5	16.3	87.2	95.1
Mercer County	95.4	Relatively High	97.2	73.4	81.9	94.0
Burlington County	93.6	Relatively Moderate	96.4	92.2	78.2	92.0
Camden County	93.2	Relatively Moderate	95.6	86.3	84.8	93.8
Atlantic County	93.0	Relatively Moderate	96.2	94.3	53.2	88.0
Morris County	92.9	Relatively Moderate	96.3	30.0	79.9	88.8
Cape May County	91.0	Relatively Moderate	99.4	86.4	38.3	73.9
Somerset County	90.9	Relatively Moderate	95.0	35.4	72.3	88.5
Gloucester County	86.6	Relatively Moderate	87.9	79.7	69.6	89.3
Cumberland County	82.6	Relatively Moderate	88.4	85.8	54.0	87.2
Warren County	80.8	Relatively Low	86.5	23.4	49.7	70.8
Hunterdon County	78.7	Relatively Low	86.8	26.3	51.4	75.5
Sussex County	77.4	Relatively Low	77.3	36.7	44.1	71.1
Salem County	76.5	Relatively Low	95.8	68.1	35.1	79.6

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