Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in New Vernon
New Vernon isn’t graded for hazard risk: New Vernon has 743 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1999.
What New Vernon 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 New Vernon flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1999
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in New Vernon, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Floyd4 claims · $90K
- Hurricane Irene3 claims · $48K
- The December nor’easter1 claim · $8K
New Vernon 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 New Vernon remembers
None of the 25 disasters declared for Morris County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching New Vernon itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19994 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations, declared for Morris County
- 20113 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storm, declared for Morris County
- 20071 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal 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 New Vernon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the New Vernon archive →New Vernon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Village | — | 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 New Vernon 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 New Vernon
Does New Vernon flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in New Vernon since 1999, $174K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Floyd (4).
Is New Vernon 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 New Vernon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for New Vernon’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 New Vernon?
By flood claims, Hurricane Floyd: 4 paid, $90K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Vernon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where New Vernon’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.