Flooding in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Franklin Lakes looks flood-prone on a map, with lakes, ponds and brooks across a large borough. The insurance record says something rather different. This page explains both, and why the gap between them exists.
The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 10.45 per cent of Franklin Lakes in the FEMA one per cent annual chance flood zone, 661.10 acres in all. Yet FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program has recorded only 31 claims in the borough, and four repetitive-loss properties. Water here drains two ways: west by Pond Brook to the Ramapo River at Oakland, and east towards the upper Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. The borough itself lists localized flooding from rain and the possibility of dam failure among its hazard priorities.
The short version
- The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 10.45 per cent of Franklin Lakes, 661.10 acres, in the one per cent flood zone.
- FEMA records only 31 NFIP claims in the borough, led by Ida, and four repetitive-loss properties.
- Pond Brook drains the west of the borough towards Crystal Lake and the Ramapo River at Oakland.
- The borough lists rain-driven localized flooding and possible dam failure among its hazard priorities.
- The US Census Bureau puts the median year built at 1982, newer than in neighbouring Wyckoff or Ridgewood.
A big flood zone in a big borough
Franklin Lakes covers 6,324.34 acres, far more than Ridgewood or Wyckoff, and Table 4.6-1 of the county plan places 661.10 of them in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. That is 10.45 per cent, or 13.32 per cent once the 0.2 per cent annual chance zone is added. In acres, it is more mapped flood zone than Ridgewood has. Part of the explanation is likely what the zone contains: FEMA has studied the borough's lake and brooks, and a lake surface or a wooded stream corridor counts as flood zone without a single house on it. A percentage of land in the flood zone says how much ground could flood; it does not say how many homes stand on it.
Pond Brook and the Ramapo side
The western part of the borough drains to Pond Brook, which FEMA's countywide flood study traces from Franklin Lake Dam, where it drains only about 1.76 square miles, to a point just below High Mountain Road, where the area has grown to about 5.06. Downstream it becomes Allerman Brook in Oakland and flows into Crystal Lake, and the US Geological Survey operates a gauge on the Ramapo River immediately below the point where Pond Brook joins it. FEMA's study notes that the stretch from Crystal Lake up to just above Colonial Road in Franklin Lakes was restudied for the New Jersey Department of Transportation when the channel was realigned for the construction of Interstate 287.
The claim record
FEMA's OpenFEMA data show 31 National Flood Insurance Program claims in Franklin Lakes over the life of the programme. The busiest year was 2011, with five, followed by 2021 with four and 1999 and 2013 with three each. By event, FEMA attributes four claims to Hurricane Ida, three each to Hurricanes Floyd and Irene, and two to Hurricane Sandy. FEMA's multiple-loss records, as of 2 August 2026, list four repetitive-loss properties and none in the severe category. Against 3,878 housing units in the US Census Bureau's count, the claim rate is low, and the county plan counts 23 active flood policies as of October 2024.
Dams, lakes and heavy rain
In its section of the 2026 county plan, Franklin Lakes lists among its specific priorities rain events causing localized flooding and possible dam failure, and says it has experienced each of its listed hazards since 2021. A borough built around lakes depends on the dams and spillways that hold them, and on the small channels downstream being able to carry what comes over. For residents below a lake, the practical questions are simple: who owns the dam, and whether the owner has an emergency plan. The borough or NJDEP's Dam Safety section can tell you. The Census Bureau puts the median year built at 1982, newer than in Wyckoff, Ridgewood or Allendale, which generally means better drainage and foundations than in older boroughs nearby, though not immunity.
What this means if you own or rent here
Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, paying attention to whether a mapped zone touches your lot or only the lake or brook beside it. If you are downstream of a dam, find out who maintains it. For most homes, the water that causes damage arrives in a cloudburst: runoff across a sloping lot, a sump pump overwhelmed or without power, a drain that backs up. Grading, gutters and backup power are the defences. Homeowners policies treat seepage and sewer backup differently from flood, and whether a loss is covered is decided by your insurer and the policy wording. If you want flood cover, remember that a new policy normally takes 30 days to begin.
Common questions
Does Franklin Lakes, NJ flood?
Not often in a way that reaches insured homes. FEMA has recorded 31 flood insurance claims in the borough, although the county plan maps 10.45 per cent of its land in the one per cent flood zone, mostly around lakes and brooks.
Which river does Franklin Lakes drain to?
Two. The west of the borough drains by Pond Brook to Crystal Lake and the Ramapo River at Oakland; the east lies in the headwaters of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, which flows on to the Saddle River.
How do I find out about a dam near my house?
Ask the borough or the NJDEP Bureau of Dam Safety and Flood Control who owns and maintains it. The 2026 county plan lists possible dam failure among Franklin Lakes' hazard priorities.
Find out who to call
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