States › New Jersey › Cape May County
Cape May County, New Jersey
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 338 storm events in Cape May County, New Jersey, led by damaging wind.
That is 134.4 events per 100 square miles, below the New Jersey figure of 358.7, and 35.3 per 10,000 residents against 28.5 statewide.
5 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 0 deaths and 11 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $8.0M and crop damage at $1K.
FEMA has designated the county in 34 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (major disaster, 5 Sep 2021).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 28,016 claims since 1978, of which 22,721 were paid, totalling $415M (about $18K per paid claim). FEMA counts 25,975 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($100M a year across 18 hazards).
71 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 3 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with New Jersey and the United States
| Measure | Cape May County | New Jersey | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 338 | 26,382 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 134.4 | 358.7 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 35.3 | 28.5 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 5 | 776 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 0 | 276 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $8.0M | $28B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 292.9 | 21.8 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $18K | $38K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 0.9 | 10.6 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 221 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 98 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug 2012 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 27 Jul 2008 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 21 Jul 2015 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 6 Sep 1979 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 12 Aug 2000 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Aug 2011 | Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 1971 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Sep 1986 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 66 mph | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep 2021 | DR-4614 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Public assistance |
| 2 Sep 2021 | EM-3573 | Emergency | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Public assistance |
| 28 Apr 2021 | DR-4597 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 11 Dec 2020 | DR-4574 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias | Public assistance |
| 25 Mar 2020 | DR-4488 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3451 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 14 Mar 2016 | DR-4264 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 30 Oct 2012 | DR-4086 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Oct 2012 | EM-3354 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 30 Nov 2011 | DR-4048 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm | Public assistance |
| 31 Aug 2011 | DR-4021 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 27 Aug 2011 | EM-3332 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 4 Feb 2011 | DR-1954 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 2 Apr 2010 | DR-1897 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 23 Mar 2010 | DR-1889 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 22 Dec 2009 | DR-1867 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Ida And A Nor'Eas | Public assistance |
| 19 Sep 2005 | EM-3257 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 20 Mar 2003 | EM-3181 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 19 Sep 2001 | EM-3169 | Emergency | Fire | Fires And Explosions | Public assistance |
| 1 Nov 2000 | EM-3156 | Emergency | Other | West Nile Virus | Public assistance |
| 17 Sep 1999 | EM-3148 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations | Public assistance |
| 3 Mar 1998 | DR-1206 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Severe Winter Coastal Storm, High Winds, Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Jan 1996 | DR-1088 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Blizzard Of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | Public assistance |
| 17 Mar 1993 | EM-3106 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard | Public assistance |
| 18 Dec 1992 | DR-973 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Mar 1992 | DR-936 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Coastal Storm | Public assistance |
| 15 Oct 1985 | DR-749 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria | Public assistance |
| 12 Apr 1984 | DR-701 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Oct 1980 | EM-3083 | Emergency | Drought | Water Shortage | Public assistance |
| 8 Feb 1977 | DR-528 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Conditions | Individual assistance |
| 21 Aug 1976 | DR-519 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 24 Dec 1974 | EM-3005 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds & High Tides | Public assistance |
| 4 Sep 1971 | DR-310 | Major disaster | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Aug 1965 | DR-205 | Major disaster | Drought | Water Shortage | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 1 | $4,913 | $4,913 |
| 2025 | 25 | 17 | $296,894 | $17,464 |
| 2024 | 15 | 7 | $43,213 | $6,173 |
| 2023 | 9 | 6 | $49,509 | $8,251 |
| 2022 | 14 | 8 | $41,253 | $5,157 |
| 2021 | 26 | 13 | $576,651 | $44,358 |
| 2020 | 24 | 13 | $113,932 | $8,764 |
| 2019 | 17 | 4 | $135,248 | $33,812 |
| 2018 | 66 | 47 | $504,651 | $10,737 |
| 2017 | 32 | 18 | $145,859 | $8,103 |
| 2016 | 1,326 | 1,044 | $23,293,236 | $22,312 |
| 2015 | 43 | 15 | $217,160 | $14,477 |
| 2014 | 21 | 6 | $46,248 | $7,708 |
| 2013 | 38 | 14 | $87,239 | $6,231 |
| 2012 | 10,138 | 8,695 | $276,315,322 | $31,779 |
| 2011 | 225 | 154 | $2,080,724 | $13,511 |
| 2010 | 113 | 62 | $391,136 | $6,309 |
| 2009 | 624 | 488 | $8,132,302 | $16,665 |
| 2008 | 192 | 139 | $1,647,829 | $11,855 |
| 2007 | 8 | 2 | $23,128 | $11,564 |
| 2006 | 44 | 33 | $446,286 | $13,524 |
| 2005 | 22 | 9 | $122,366 | $13,596 |
| 2004 | 28 | 9 | $45,054 | $5,006 |
| 2003 | 134 | 74 | $551,561 | $7,454 |
| 2002 | 30 | 10 | $40,255 | $4,026 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $38,947,571 | |
| Coastal flooding | $30,702,175 | |
| Hurricane | $14,227,087 | |
| Strong wind | $6,746,958 | |
| Heat wave | $4,000,550 | |
| Earthquake | $1,091,607 | |
| Cold wave | $1,023,775 | |
| Wildfire | $843,611 | |
| Tornado | $822,361 | |
| Lightning | $519,746 | |
| Winter weather | $384,083 | |
| Drought | $254,173 | |
| Ice storm | $80,359 | |
| Hail | $9,648 | |
| Landslide | $71 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsa | 2021 | 59 mi | 58 mph |
| Ida | 2021 | 64 mi | 40 mph |
| Fay | 2020 | 27 mi | 58 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 87 mi | 46 mph |
| Sandy | 2012 | 32 mi | 86 mph |
| Irene | 2011 | 32 mi | 75 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 66 mi | 52 mph |
| Barry | 2007 | 89 mi | 46 mph |
| Twenty-two | 2005 | 66 mi | 46 mph |
| Charley | 2004 | 58 mi | 40 mph |
| Gaston | 2004 | 68 mi | 40 mph |
| Jeanne | 2004 | 21 mi | 40 mph |
| Allison | 2001 | 79 mi | 46 mph |
| Floyd | 1999 | 79 mi | 69 mph |
| Bertha | 1996 | 79 mi | 69 mph |
| Danielle | 1992 | 67 mi | 63 mph |
| Bob | 1991 | 100 mi | 109 mph |
| Charley | 1986 | 73 mi | 69 mph |
| Gloria | 1985 | 51 mi | 98 mph |
| Henri | 1985 | 62 mi | 40 mph |
| Belle | 1976 | 60 mi | 92 mph |
| Doria | 1971 | 47 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1968 | 62 mi | 52 mph |
| Doria | 1967 | 98 mi | 75 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1963 | 95 mi | 46 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 08226 9,482
- 08260 8,825
- 08243 2,967
- 08202 2,366
- 08247 1,539
- 08204 1,480
- 08210 423
- 08248 359
- 08251 149
- 08212 85
- 08223 36
- 08270 26
- 08024 13
- 08242 12
- 08230 11
- 08250 11
- 08219 10
- 08245 6
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Cape May County, NJ?
NCEI records 31 hail events in Cape May County since 1950, in 13 different years; that is about 0.4 recorded events a year. 3 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Cape May County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 11 tornadoes in Cape May County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Cape May County?
5 Sep 2021: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida, a major disaster declaration for hurricane. The county appears in 34 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Cape May County, and how much was paid?
28,016 NFIP claims since 1978, 22,721 of them paid, for $415M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Cape May County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Cape May County compare with the rest of New Jersey?
134.4 recorded events per 100 square miles against 358.7 statewide, and 292.9 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 21.8. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.