Storms, floods and disasters in Glen Ridge
Glen Ridge isn’t graded for hazard risk: Glen Ridge has 289 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1982.
What Glen Ridge faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Glen Ridge flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Glen Ridge, from FEMA’s records.
Glen Ridge isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Palm Beach County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Glen Ridge
Disasters that paid out in Glen Ridge itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Glen Ridge), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Hurricane Irma2 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$31K to the Town of Glen Ridge for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Wilma1 households applied for aid$836 aid approved$37K to the Town of Glen Ridge for repairs
- 2004Hurricane Jeanne1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$16K to the Town of Glen Ridge for repairs
- 2004Hurricane Frances3 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$39K to the Town of Glen Ridge for repairs
Palm Beach County has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Palm Beach County, 1999–1999.
Old photos of Glen Ridge after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Glen Ridge archive →Glen Ridge and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Lake | — | 212 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Glen Ridge faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Glen Ridge
Does Glen Ridge flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Glen Ridge since 1982, $9K in all.
Is Glen Ridge in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Palm Beach County, 43% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 13.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Glen Ridge?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Glen Ridge’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Glen Ridge?
By FEMA money that reached Glen Ridge, Hurricane Frances (2004): 3 households applied for aid, $1K approved, and $39K to the Town of Glen Ridge for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Glen Ridge.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Glen Ridge’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.