States › New Jersey › Salem County
Salem 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.
The NCEI record lists 862 events for Salem County, New Jersey, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 259.7 events per 100 square miles, below the New Jersey figure of 358.7, and 132.5 per 10,000 residents against 28.5 statewide.
16 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 5 deaths and 31 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $52M and crop damage at $5.7M.
FEMA has designated the county in 26 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 824 claims since 1978, of which 511 were paid, totalling $9.2M (about $18K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,518 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Low" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($40M a year across 18 hazards).
53 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 | Salem County | New Jersey | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 862 | 26,382 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 259.7 | 358.7 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 132.5 | 28.5 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 16 | 776 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 5 | 276 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $52M | $28B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 12.7 | 21.8 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $18K | $38K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 4.5 | 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: 484 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 360 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $1.0M | — | 2 | — | County |
| 21 Feb 2014 | Dense Fog | Fog | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | Forecast zone |
| 28 Aug 2011 | Flood | Flood | — | $10M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2008 | Excessive Heat | Heat | — | — | — | — | 8 | Forecast zone |
| 19 Jan 2009 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | — | 8 | Forecast zone |
| 18 Jan 2009 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | — | 5 | Forecast zone |
| 21 Jul 2011 | Excessive Heat | Heat | — | — | — | — | 4 | Forecast zone |
| 31 Dec 2008 | High Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $50K | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 19 Dec 2009 | Heavy Snow | Winter | — | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 29 Oct 2012 | High Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $10M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Aug 2013 | Dense Fog | Fog | — | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 15 Apr 2007 | Flood | Flood | — | $7.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Oct 2012 | Coastal Flood | Flood | — | $7.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Aug 2008 | Hail | Hail | 1.75 in | $250K | $5.0M | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2011 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5.1M | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 2005 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 16 Feb 2003 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | $500K | — | — | County |
| 9 Feb 2010 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | $500K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 19 Jul 2012 | DR-4070 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds | Public assistance |
| 15 Sep 2011 | DR-4033 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | 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 |
| 23 Mar 2010 | DR-1889 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 5 Feb 2010 | DR-1873 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Snowstorm | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 23 Jul 1975 | DR-477 | Major disaster | Flood | Heavy Rains, High Winds, Hail & Tornadoes | Individual assistance, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 | 9 | $103,118 | $11,458 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2021 | 26 | 19 | $1,408,952 | $74,155 |
| 2020 | 19 | 15 | $510,066 | $34,004 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 | $24,383 | $24,383 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | $1,401 | $1,401 |
| 2014 | 4 | 3 | $13,242 | $4,414 |
| 2013 | 35 | 23 | $440,643 | $19,158 |
| 2012 | 150 | 113 | $4,012,902 | $35,512 |
| 2011 | 110 | 76 | $895,076 | $11,777 |
| 2010 | 11 | 7 | $52,330 | $7,476 |
| 2009 | 6 | 3 | $30,073 | $10,024 |
| 2008 | 25 | 12 | $459,430 | $38,286 |
| 2007 | 12 | 9 | $46,169 | $5,130 |
| 2006 | 4 | 2 | $17,617 | $8,809 |
| 2005 | 9 | 4 | $14,699 | $3,675 |
| 2004 | 2 | 1 | $15,969 | $15,969 |
| 2003 | 19 | 11 | $90,103 | $8,191 |
| 2000 | 12 | 3 | $4,989 | $1,663 |
| 1999 | 93 | 43 | $306,377 | $7,125 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
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 | $14,355,180 | |
| Coastal flooding | $14,283,187 | |
| Strong wind | $2,592,002 | |
| Earthquake | $1,750,095 | |
| Hurricane | $1,394,423 | |
| Heat wave | $1,383,009 | |
| Drought | $988,999 | |
| Ice storm | $870,470 | |
| Cold wave | $803,285 | |
| Tornado | $750,628 | |
| Winter weather | $278,639 | |
| Hail | $232,196 | |
| Lightning | $220,480 | |
| Wildfire | $167,732 | |
| Landslide | $136 |
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 | 81 mi | 58 mph |
| Ida | 2021 | 20 mi | 40 mph |
| Fay | 2020 | 52 mi | 58 mph |
| Isaias | 2020 | 93 mi | 63 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 96 mi | 46 mph |
| Sandy | 2012 | 46 mi | 86 mph |
| Irene | 2011 | 52 mi | 69 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 54 mi | 52 mph |
| Ernesto | 2006 | 75 mi | 46 mph |
| Charley | 2004 | 85 mi | 40 mph |
| Jeanne | 2004 | 64 mi | 40 mph |
| Bertha | 1996 | 63 mi | 69 mph |
| Danielle | 1992 | 29 mi | 46 mph |
| Gloria | 1985 | 93 mi | 98 mph |
| Henri | 1985 | 92 mi | 40 mph |
| Belle | 1976 | 99 mi | 92 mph |
| Doria | 1971 | 74 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1968 | 97 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1961 | 88 mi | 58 mph |
| Brenda | 1960 | 60 mi | 58 mph |
| Connie | 1955 | 74 mi | 58 mph |
| Diane | 1955 | 47 mi | 46 mph |
| Able | 1952 | 87 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1944 | 53 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1944 | 90 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
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 Salem County, NJ?
NCEI records 24 hail events in Salem County since 1950, in 12 different years; that is about 0.3 recorded events a year. 3 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Salem County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 4 tornadoes in Salem County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Salem County?
5 Sep 2021: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida, a major disaster declaration for hurricane. The county appears in 26 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Salem County, and how much was paid?
824 NFIP claims since 1978, 511 of them paid, for $9.2M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Salem County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Low" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" 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 Salem County compare with the rest of New Jersey?
259.7 recorded events per 100 square miles against 358.7 statewide, and 12.7 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.