Cape May County, New Jersey: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cape May County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 91.0 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by coastal flooding, strong wind, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,696 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 99.4 | $31M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.5 | $6.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.6 | $384K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 93.1 | $14M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.4 | $4.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | $39M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.1 | $520K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 86.4 | $844K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.9 | $1.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 57.9 | $254K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 50.9 | $1.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 47.7 | $80K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 38.3 | $822K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 15.6 | $71 |
| Hail | Very Low | 4.2 | $10K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 400 | 1 | $277M | 1st of 20 | 8th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 271 | 3 | $73M | 14th of 20 | 81st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 233 | 0 | $443M | 7th of 20 | 21st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 140 | 0 | $1.7M | 14th of 20 | 404th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 118 | 2 | – | 6th of 20 | 30th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 106 | 0 | $266K | 1st of 20 | 7th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 91 | 12 | $55M | 1st of 20 | 6th of 2,080 |
| Drought | 76 | 0 | – | 3rd of 20 | 97th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 70 | 0 | $11M | 1st of 20 | 3rd of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 56 | 0 | – | 3rd of 20 | 122nd of 3,076 |
| Hail | 31 | 0 | – | 15th of 20 | 1978th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $185K | 10th of 20 | 47th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $4.1M | 4th of 20 | 854th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | $13K | 15th of 20 | 244th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cape May County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.