Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Stockton
Stockton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Stockton has 446 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 149 claims here since 1980.
What Stockton 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
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 Stockton flood? Yes: 149 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Stockton, from FEMA’s records.
- The Torrential rain22 claims · $789K
- Hurricane Ida15 claims · $264K
- Hurricane Irene10 claims · $96K
Stockton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hunterdon County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Stockton
Disasters that paid out in Stockton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Stockton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida165 households applied for aid$363K aid approved$453K to the Borough of Stockton for repairs15 flood claims paid for it, $264K
- 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$5K to the Borough of Stockton for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy75 households applied for aid$15K aid approved$5K to the Borough of Stockton for repairs
- 2011Hurricane Irene95 households applied for aid$275K aid approved$7K to the Borough of Stockton for repairs10 flood claims paid for it, $96K
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding54 households applied for aid$39K aid approved$11K to the Borough of Stockton for repairs43 flood claims paid that year
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding83 households applied for aid$196K aid approved56 flood claims paid that year
Show all 7
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding17 households applied for aid$72K aid approved5 flood claims paid that year
Hunterdon County has had 18 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 Stockton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Stockton archive →Stockton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solebury Township | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 199 |
| Delaware Township | Cmore damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 55 |
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 Stockton 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.
- 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 Stockton
Does Stockton flood?
Flood insurance has paid 149 claims in Stockton since 1980, $3.6M in all. 40 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Torrential rain (22).
Is Stockton 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 Hunterdon County, 66% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Stockton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Stockton’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 Stockton?
By FEMA money that reached Stockton, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (2021): 165 households applied for aid, $363K approved, and $453K to the Borough of Stockton for repairs. By flood claims, Torrential rain: 22 paid, $789K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Stockton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Stockton’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.