Storms, floods and disasters in Lake Hopatcong
Lake Hopatcong isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lake Hopatcong is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1983.
What Lake Hopatcong 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
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 Lake Hopatcong flood? Sometimes: 31 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lake Hopatcong, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene4 claims · $17K
Lake Hopatcong 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 Hopatcong remembers
None of the 25 disasters declared for Morris County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lake Hopatcong itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200023 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides, declared for Morris County
- 20114 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storm, declared for Morris County
- 19842 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storms and Flooding, declared for Morris County
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 Hopatcong after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lake Hopatcong archive →Lake Hopatcong 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Arlington | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Hopatcong | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Jefferson Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 77 |
| Rockaway Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 53 |
| Lower Berkshire Valley | — | 449 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 Lake Hopatcong 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.
- 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 Lake Hopatcong
Does Lake Hopatcong flood?
Flood insurance has paid 31 claims in Lake Hopatcong since 1983, $289K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (4).
Is Lake Hopatcong 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 Hopatcong?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lake Hopatcong’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 Hopatcong?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 4 paid, $17K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lake Hopatcong.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lake Hopatcong’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.