Flooding in Hackensack, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Hackensack floods in more than one way. The river on its eastern edge rises with the tide, the streets can fill in a cloudburst, and parts of the city still share one pipe for rain and sewage.
The Bergen County 2026 hazard mitigation plan puts 17.96 per cent of Hackensack's land inside the FEMA 1 per cent annual chance flood zone. FEMA counts 509 National Flood Insurance Program claims in the city, with Hurricane Irene, the remnants of Ida, Sandy and the April 2007 nor'easter the leading events, and lists 77 repetitive-loss properties. This page sets out where that water comes from, how the record breaks down, and what owners and the city's many renters can do about it.
The short version
- The Bergen County 2026 hazard mitigation plan puts 17.96 per cent of Hackensack in the FEMA 1 per cent annual chance flood zone, 19.97 per cent including the 0.2 per cent zone.
- FEMA records 509 flood insurance claims in Hackensack, led by Irene (99), Ida (81), Sandy (53) and the April 2007 nor'easter (50).
- FEMA lists 77 repetitive-loss properties in the city, 18 of them severe repetitive loss, as of August 2026.
- Combined sewers in parts of the city mean storm water in streets and basements may contain sewage; separation work is under way.
What the flood insurance record shows
FEMA's OpenFEMA claims data show 509 National Flood Insurance Program claims in Hackensack over the life of the programme. That total includes 3 claims from Hackensack ZIP codes that FEMA files under the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission community. The heaviest year was 2011, with 115 claims, followed by 2021 with 89, 2007 with 60 and 2012 with 53. By named event FEMA attributes 99 claims to Hurricane Irene, 81 to Hurricane Ida, 53 to Hurricane Sandy and 50 to the April 2007 nor'easter. FEMA's multiple-loss records, as of 2 August 2026, list 77 Hackensack repetitive-loss properties, 18 of them severe repetitive loss. The US Census Bureau counts 21,361 housing units, so the record is real but concentrated in a small share of the city.
How much of the city is mapped as flood zone
Table 4.6-1 of the Bergen County 2026 hazard mitigation plan, drawing on FEMA's current maps, counts 499.17 acres of Hackensack's 2,779.93 acres of land in the 1 per cent annual chance flood zone, which is 17.96 per cent. Adding the 0.2 per cent annual chance zone takes the share to 19.97 per cent. The zone is not spread evenly. It follows the Hackensack River along the city's eastern side and the low ground leading down to it. The county plan lists portions of the City of Hackensack among the municipalities exposed to coastal surge on the river. For any single building, only the FEMA Flood Map Service Center can say which zone applies.
A river that answers to the tide
Below the Oradell Dam the Hackensack is a tidal estuary, and by the time it passes Hackensack it rises and falls twice a day with Newark Bay. FEMA's Flood Insurance Study for Bergen County says the principal flooding in the southern part of the county results from those tidal stages. The National Weather Service runs a tidal forecast point called Hackensack River at Hackensack, measured in feet above mean lower low water, with minor flooding at 7.8 feet, moderate at 9.1 and major at 10.6. Its Bergen Point coastal flood record shows what that means. On 23 December 2022 it logged water rescues on South Newman Street in Hackensack and River Street flooded and closed, and put the cause down to a combination of one and a half to two inches of rain and surge pushing up the river. Neither was exceptional on its own.
Four storms, three different floods
The four events that dominate the claim record did not flood the city in the same way. Irene in 2011 and the April 2007 nor'easter were river floods driven by days of rain across the whole Hackensack basin; 2007 produced the flood of record at the New Milford gauge upstream. Sandy in 2012 was the opposite: a surge from the bay with little rain. Ida in September 2021 was a downpour. The county plan records 7.14 inches of rain at Teterboro Airport, much of it in a few hours, and notes that urban centres such as Hackensack often see flash flooding because of ageing or undersized stormwater systems and large areas of paving. The 81 Ida claims show that a Hackensack property can flood far from the river, simply because the drains cannot keep up.
Rain and sewage in the same pipe
Parts of Hackensack still have combined sewers, in which stormwater and wastewater travel in one pipeline. The Bergen County Utilities Authority names Hackensack, with Fort Lee and Ridgefield Park, as having drainage areas served this way. The city itself explains that these systems can overflow during heavy rain, leading to street flooding as well as pollution, and in February 2025 it announced a compliance agreement with the state environmental department, Fort Lee, Ridgefield Park and the utilities authority to separate the systems and cut overflows. It reports that some separation projects have already been completed and have reduced flooding in the areas concerned. For residents the practical consequence is simple: in a heavy storm, water rising from a floor drain or pooling in the street may contain sewage.
What this means if you own or rent here
Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, then work out which kind of flood applies to you. Near the river, watch the coastal flood forecast and the tide times as well as the rain; a modest storm at high tide is the combination the weather service recorded in 2022. Away from the river, the risk is a downpour that overwhelms the drains, so look at where water collects around the building and whether a backwater valve makes sense; a licensed plumber can advise. Treat any water that comes up through a drain as contaminated, and keep out of it until the power to that area is off. The US Census Bureau finds that 63.4 per cent of Hackensack households rent. FEMA states that a landlord's policy does not cover a tenant's belongings and that renters can buy flood contents cover of their own, which normally takes 30 days to begin. Whether a particular loss is paid is decided by your insurer and your policy wording.
Common questions
Does Hackensack, NJ flood?
Parts of it do. FEMA counts 509 flood insurance claims in the city, and the county hazard plan maps 17.96 per cent of its land in the 1 per cent annual chance flood zone. Flooding comes from the tidal Hackensack River, from heavy downpours on the drainage system, and from combined sewers overflowing in heavy rain.
Why did Hackensack flood in December 2022 when the rain was not extreme?
Because the river was high from the tide at the same time. The National Weather Service attributes the South Newman Street rescues and the River Street closure to one and a half to two inches of rain combined with surge up the Hackensack River.
Which gauge should Hackensack residents watch?
The National Weather Service forecast point Hackensack River at Hackensack, a tidal gauge with minor flooding at 7.8 feet above mean lower low water, moderate at 9.1 and major at 10.6. For heavy rain events, the coastal flood forecast and the timing of high tide matter as much as the rainfall total.
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