Flooding in Haworth, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Haworth looks flood-prone on paper and almost dry in FEMA's claim files. The reason is the Oradell Reservoir, which takes up a large share of the borough's mapped flood zone. This page separates the two.
The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 21.14 per cent of Haworth in the 1 per cent annual chance flood zone, one of the larger shares in the county. Yet FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program has recorded only seven flood claims in the borough, and lists two repetitive-loss properties. Much of the mapped area is the Oradell Reservoir and its shoreline rather than streets of houses. For most Haworth homes, the realistic water risk is in the basement, not from the reservoir.
The short version
- FEMA records only seven NFIP flood claims in Haworth, four of them in 2007, and two repetitive-loss properties.
- The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan maps 21.14 per cent of the borough in the 1 per cent annual chance flood zone.
- By the Census Bureau's water area, the Oradell Reservoir itself could account for most of that mapped zone.
- With a 1954 median build year, basement seepage, sump failures and plumbing are the likelier sources of water damage.
Seven claims in the life of the programme
FEMA's OpenFEMA data list seven NFIP claims for the Borough of Haworth. Four came in 2007, two of them tied by FEMA to the April 2007 nor'easter; the others fall in 2005, 2009 and 2021, the last linked to Hurricane Ida, and one is recorded simply as torrential rain. FEMA's multiple-loss records, as of 2 August 2026, list two repetitive-loss properties in Haworth and none in the severe category. The county plan reports 11 active NFIP policies as of October 2024. Against the US Census Bureau's 1,165 housing units, claims here are rare.
Why a fifth of the borough is mapped
Table 4.6-1 of the county plan counts about 318 acres of Haworth in FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area, 21.14 per cent of 1,502 acres, rising to 23.79 per cent with the 0.2 per cent annual chance zone. The plan's area figure for Haworth closely matches the borough's land and water combined. The Census Bureau records 0.398 square miles of water in Haworth, about 255 acres, almost all of it the Oradell Reservoir. By our arithmetic, then, the reservoir surface alone could make up most of the mapped zone. The share of dry land in the zone is far smaller than the headline figure.
How the reservoir behaves
The Oradell Reservoir is the impounded Hackensack River above the Oradell Dam, and FEMA's Flood Insurance Study lists Haworth among the six boroughs on its shores. The study gives the spillway crest as 22.7 feet and records a peak of 26.2 feet on 17 September 1999, during Floyd, more than a foot above the previous record of 25.0. Four other stages above 24 feet are listed, in 1968, 1972, 1973 and 1975. FEMA sets the 1 per cent annual chance level of the reservoir at 25.7 feet. The reservoir exists for water supply. FEMA's study notes that the upstream reservoirs that keep it topped up, Woodcliff Lake and Lake Tappan, are not designed or used for flood control, although their storage softens most flood peaks. In a very high stage it is the reservoir fringe that floods, not the borough at large.
What does cause water damage here
The US Census Bureau puts the median year built of Haworth homes at 1954, older than most of its Northern Valley neighbours. Houses of that age often lack modern foundation drainage, and many had sump pits added late or not at all. In a borough with so few flood claims, the water damage most residents will meet is a basement that seeps after days of rain, a sump pump that stops during a power cut, a downspout that empties against the foundation, or a supply line that fails. None of these is a flood in insurance terms, and none is counted in FEMA's figures.
Dams and the borough's plans
The county plan lists one state-regulated dam in Haworth, rated low hazard by NJDEP; the high-hazard Oradell Reservoir Dam itself is in Oradell. Haworth's own summary in the plan is brief, aligning its work with the State Hazard Mitigation Plan and reporting twelve ongoing actions. There is no borough flood project on the scale of Cresskill's, which fits the record.
What this means if you own or rent here
If your property backs onto the reservoir or a stream that feeds it, check it on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; those lots are where Haworth's few claims are likely to sit. For everyone else, put the effort into the house: test the sump pump before the wet season, consider a battery backup, run downspouts well away from the walls, and keep stored belongings off the basement floor. Flood insurance is a separate policy, and FEMA states that a new policy normally takes 30 days to take effect. Very few Haworth homes are rented, about 5 per cent according to the Census Bureau, but a tenant's belongings are not covered by the landlord's policy. Seepage and sewer backup are treated differently from flood, and whether a loss is covered is decided by your insurer.
Common questions
Does Haworth, NJ flood?
Rarely, by FEMA's record: seven flood insurance claims in total. A large share of the borough is mapped flood zone, but much of it is the Oradell Reservoir itself and its shoreline.
Can the Oradell Reservoir flood Haworth homes?
Its edges can flood when the reservoir is very high, as in September 1999, when FEMA's study records a peak of 26.2 feet. Properties close to the shore should check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. The reservoir was built for water supply, not flood control.
Why does my Haworth basement get wet if the town rarely floods?
Most basement water is not flooding. Groundwater, a stopped sump pump, poor drainage at the foundation and failed plumbing are far more common causes in 1950s houses like many in Haworth.
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