Storms, floods and disasters in Lake Hiawatha
Lake Hiawatha isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lake Hiawatha is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 397 claims here since 1978.
What Lake Hiawatha 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
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 Lake Hiawatha flood? Yes: 397 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lake Hiawatha, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene165 claims · $8.3M
- Hurricane Floyd3 claims · $15K
Lake Hiawatha isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Morris County.The storms Lake Hiawatha remembers
None of the 25 disasters declared for Morris County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lake Hiawatha itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 2011166 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storm, declared for Morris County
- 198496 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storms and Flooding, declared for Morris County
- 197978 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Morris County has had 25 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 Lake Hiawatha after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lake Hiawatha archive →Lake Hiawatha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parsippany-Troy Hills Township | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 542 |
| Montville Township | Dmore damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 104 |
| Parsippany | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Pine Brook | — | 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 Lake Hiawatha 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.
- 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 Lake Hiawatha
Does Lake Hiawatha flood?
Flood insurance has paid 397 claims in Lake Hiawatha since 1978, $9.6M in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (165).
Is Lake Hiawatha 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 Morris County, 1.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Lake Hiawatha?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lake Hiawatha’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 Lake Hiawatha?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 165 paid, $8.3M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lake Hiawatha.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lake Hiawatha’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.