Storms, floods and disasters in Lake Telemark
Lake Telemark isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lake Telemark is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1978.
What Lake Telemark 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
Earthquakes
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 Telemark flood? Sometimes: 13 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lake Telemark, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene6 claims · $84K
- The Late winter storms1 claim · $10K
Lake Telemark 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 Telemark remembers
None of the 25 disasters declared for Morris County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lake Telemark itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20117 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storm, declared for Morris County
- 19782 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19942 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 Telemark after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lake Telemark archive →Lake Telemark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hibernia | — | 115 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 Telemark 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Telemark
Does Lake Telemark flood?
Flood insurance has paid 13 claims in Lake Telemark since 1978, $117K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (6).
Is Lake Telemark 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 Telemark?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lake Telemark’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 Telemark?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 6 paid, $84K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lake Telemark.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lake Telemark’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.