FEMA Records
34
Very high volume
New Jersey · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Cape May County, NJ
34 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 34
- FEMA declarations
- 22
- Major disasters
- 91
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Cape May County. Its 34 FEMA declarations are 15% above the New Jersey county mean and exceed the count for 92% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 9%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 9%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 34
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 28,016
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 34009 · Cape May County 34 declarations · rank 237/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-HEAVY 34
- MAJOR-MID 65%
- RANK-UPPER #237
- PHOTO-FINISH Sumter
- NRI-MID 91
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Hurricane
- VS-ST-ABOVE +15%
Nearest declaration peer: Sumter, FL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · New Jersey state profile
Cape May County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Cape May County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Cape May · this county 34
Cape May · this county
34 declarations
- Casey · near 34
Casey · near
34 declarations
- Morgan · near 34
Morgan · near
34 declarations
- Sumter · near 34
Sumter · near
34 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Cape May County carries 34 FEMA declaration records, ranked 237 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Cape May County ranks in the national declaration registry
Cape May County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Cape May County
34 Top 8% higher than 92% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Cape May County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Cape May County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $38.9M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very Low), while Coastal Flooding carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Very High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Cape May County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 28,016 claims and $414.6M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $14.8K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Cape May County's 34 federal records stand 15% above the New Jersey county mean of 29.7. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 91.0/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $99.7M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Coastal Flooding stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.7 times per year here.
75 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Cape May County, NJ · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Very High
25/30
34 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
14/25
34 declarations (1.1x state county average of 30)
Major Disaster Share High
16/25
22 of 34 declarations are major disasters (65%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
10 different disaster types declared in Cape May County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Cape May County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
65%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
91
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Cape May County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | an average of 3.7 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Very High | an average of 3.3 times per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 6 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 3.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.6 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 7 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 505 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 870 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 30 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 8 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 33 years |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 1.1 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 10
Snowstorm 6
Severe Storm 5
Flood 4
Biological 2
Coastal Storm 2
Drought 2
Fire 1
Other 1
Severe Ice Storm 1
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on Cape May County's federal record, 29% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 22 64.7%
of all 34 declarations
Emergency - 12 35.3%
of all 34 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 3 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 2 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
Show 8 earlier declaration years
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1981 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 1 | |
| 1971 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 34 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 34 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4614 | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-09-05 |
| 3573 | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | EM | Hurricane | 2021-09-02 |
| 4597 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2021-04-28 |
| 4574 | TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS | DR | Hurricane | 2020-12-11 |
| 4488 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-25 |
| 3451 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4264 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2016-03-14 |
| 4086 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2012-10-30 |
| 3354 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-28 |
| 4048 | SEVERE STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-11-30 |
| 4021 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-08-31 |
| 3332 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-27 |
| 1954 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2011-02-04 |
| 1897 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-04-02 |
| 1889 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-03-23 |
| 1867 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IDA AND A NOR'EAS | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-12-22 |
| 3257 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-19 |
| 3181 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2003-03-20 |
| 3169 | FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS | EM | Fire | 2001-09-19 |
| 3156 | WEST NILE VIRUS | EM | Other | 2000-11-01 |
Show 14 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3148 | HURRICANE FLOYD EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS | EM | Hurricane | 1999-09-17 |
| 1206 | SEVERE WINTER COASTAL STORM, HIGH WINDS, FLOODING | DR | Coastal Storm | 1998-03-03 |
| 1088 | BLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM) | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-13 |
| 3106 | SEVERE BLIZZARD | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-17 |
| 973 | COASTAL STORM, HIGH TIDES, HEAVY RAIN, & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1992-12-18 |
| 936 | SEVERE COASTAL STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 1992-03-03 |
| 749 | HURRICANE GLORIA | DR | Hurricane | 1985-10-15 |
| 701 | COASTAL STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1984-04-12 |
| 3083 | WATER SHORTAGE | EM | Drought | 1980-10-19 |
| 528 | ICE CONDITIONS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 1977-02-08 |
| 519 | SEVERE STORMS, HIGH WINDS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1976-08-21 |
| 3005 | SEVERE STORMS, HIGH WINDS & HIGH TIDES | EM | Coastal Storm | 1974-12-24 |
| 310 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1971-09-04 |
| 205 | WATER SHORTAGE | DR | Drought | 1965-08-18 |
Storm Events in New Jersey
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Cape May County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2,853 | 6 | 27 | $33.9M |
| Winter Weather | 1,141 | 8 | 114 | $0 |
| Flash Flood | 955 | 32 | 7 | $226.8M |
| Coastal Flood | 380 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| Winter Storm | 361 | 11 | 8 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
28,016
Total Paid
$414.6M
Avg Per Claim
$14.8K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 91.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$99.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Coastal Flooding Very High
Strong Wind Very High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Hail Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Coastal Flooding
Coastal Flooding is modeled separately from riverine flooding because its driver is different: surge, tide and wave action rather than a watershed draining. It is also the hazard whose baseline is moving, since the same storm rides on a higher starting sea level than it used to.
For Cape May County the two measures on this page point the same way: Coastal Flooding is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Very High), and Hurricane declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Cape May County's closest FEMA peer: Santa Cruz County, CA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Cape May County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Cape May County shows 34 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
Similar Major-disaster share
Cape May County: 22 of 34 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Cape May County: NRI composite 91.0 (Relatively Moderate).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Cape May County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Cape May County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 91.0 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 34. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Cape May County's NFIP claims file (28,016 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Cape May County?
The most common disaster type in Cape May County is Hurricane, with 10 declarations. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (6), Severe Storm (5), Flood (4).
How does Cape May County's FEMA declaration record compare with the New Jersey average?
FEMA lists 34 declaration records for Cape May County. That is 15% above the New Jersey county mean of 29.7. Its count is also 64% above the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Cape May County received?
Cape May County has received 22 major disaster declarations, representing 65% of all 34 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Cape May County filed?
Cape May County has 28,016 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $414.6M in payments, with an average of $14.8K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Cape May County?
No. In Cape May County, Coastal Flooding has the highest National Risk Index rating (Very High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $38.9M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Cape May County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Cape May County was 2021, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2021.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Cape May County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Cape May County, New Jersey has an overall risk score of 91.0 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Low; on community resilience, Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $99.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Cape May County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Cape May County as of the latest release is Coastal Flooding (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Very High) and Hurricane (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts coastal flooding here at an average of 3.7 times per year. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Cape May County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · New Jersey profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events