Storms, floods and disasters in Hopelawn
Hopelawn isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hopelawn is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2012.
What Hopelawn faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Strong wind
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
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 Hopelawn flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2012
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hopelawn, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy1 claim · $27K
Hopelawn isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.The storms Hopelawn remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for Middlesex County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hopelawn itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20121 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Sandy, declared for Middlesex County
Middlesex County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Hopelawn after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hopelawn archive →Hopelawn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Amboy | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 37 |
| Woodbridge Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 597 |
| Fords | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 Hopelawn faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- 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 Hopelawn
Does Hopelawn flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Hopelawn since 2012, $27K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (1).
Is Hopelawn 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 Middlesex County, 54% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hopelawn?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hopelawn’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 Hopelawn?
By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 1 paid, $27K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hopelawn.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hopelawn’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.