Middlesex County, New Jersey: hazard risk
FEMA rates Middlesex County's overall risk Relatively High (score 97.8 of 100, higher than 97% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,340 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.7 | $14M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.6 | $2.2M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 99.2 | $3.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.9 | $197M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.5 | $10M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.3 | $10.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 83.6 | $3.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.5 | $7.7M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.2 | $20M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92.6 | $12M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $743K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 75.0 | $655K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.7 | $376K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 73.3 | $8K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 42.3 | $181K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 276 | 0 | $5.3M | 9th of 20 | 155th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 240 | 6 | $13M | 8th of 20 | 47th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 210 | 5 | $839M | 9th of 20 | 31st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 167 | 8 | $169M | 6th of 20 | 22nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 100 | 8 | – | 3rd of 20 | 24th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 72 | 0 | – | 4th of 20 | 18th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | $16K | 7th of 20 | 962nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 53 | 0 | – | 5th of 20 | 123rd of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 45 | 0 | $1.1M | 5th of 20 | 15th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 2 | – | 4th of 20 | 148th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 18 | 0 | $6K | 1st of 20 | 13th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 14 | 0 | $656K | 9th of 20 | 166th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 9 | 0 | – | 10th of 20 | 59th of 2,080 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 0 | $141K | 10th of 20 | 1757th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Middlesex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.