Flooding in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Ho-Ho-Kus is a small borough with a brook named after it and a stream gauge in the middle of it. Together with FEMA's insurance data, it shows clearly when the water rises and how rarely it reaches homes.
The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 8.66 per cent of Ho-Ho-Kus in the FEMA one per cent annual chance flood zone. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program has recorded 52 claims in the borough, and four properties are on its repetitive-loss list. Almost all of the river flood risk comes from one stream, the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
The short version
- The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 8.66 per cent of Ho-Ho-Kus in the one per cent flood zone, 10.65 per cent including the 0.2 per cent zone.
- FEMA records 52 NFIP claims in the borough, 17 of them from Hurricane Floyd, and four repetitive-loss properties.
- The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook gauge crested at a record 7.32 feet in Floyd; major flood stage is 7 feet.
- At 5 feet the National Weather Service expects water on Hollywood Avenue; at 7 feet Franklin Turnpike floods between Maple and Hollywood Avenues.
A narrow flood zone along one brook
The county plan's Table 4.6-1 gives Ho-Ho-Kus 97.07 acres in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area out of 1,120.27 acres, or 8.66 per cent. Counting the 0.2 per cent annual chance zone raises that to 10.65 per cent. The mapped land is essentially the corridor of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook as it runs north to south towards Ridgewood, together with its small tributaries and ponds. The borough's first flood map dates from June 1977, and FEMA's countywide study was last revised in August 2019.
The gauge near Maple Avenue
The US Geological Survey has measured the brook about 500 feet upstream of Maple Avenue for decades, and at that point it drains about 16.4 square miles. The National Weather Service uses the gauge for forecasts, with action stage at 2.5 feet, minor flooding at 3, moderate at 5 and major at 7. Its impact statements are specific. At 3 feet, flooding affects only park areas. At 5 feet, about six inches of water lies on Hollywood Avenue near North Franklin Turnpike. At 7 feet, Franklin Turnpike floods from Maple Avenue to Hollywood Avenue, Hollywood Avenue carries around a foot of water, and major flooding reaches several streets downstream in Ridgewood.
Floyd, Irene and the crests on record
Only two readings on the gauge have passed major flood stage. The highest is 7.32 feet on 16 September 1999, during Floyd, and FEMA's flood study gives that flood a discharge of 4,670 cubic feet per second, the record for the brook. Next comes 7.06 feet in November 1977. Irene reached 6.71 feet on 28 August 2011, which FEMA lists as the second highest flow at 4,230 cubic feet per second. April 2007 (5.33 feet) and April 1984 (5.26) follow. The county plan adds a smaller event: in September 2008, Tropical Storm Hanna pushed the brook just over minor stage to 3.98 feet. The insurance data follow the same ranking. FEMA attributes 17 of the borough's 52 claims to Floyd, 9 to Irene, 7 to Hurricane Ida and 6 to the April 2007 nor'easter.
What 52 claims means here
Fifty-two claims is modest, but the borough is small. The US Census Bureau counts 1,500 housing units and 4,270 residents, so by our arithmetic there have been roughly 35 claims per 1,000 homes, a higher rate than many larger Bergen towns. FEMA's multiple-loss records, as of 2 August 2026, list four repetitive-loss properties, one of them severe repetitive loss. The county plan counts 35 active flood policies as of October 2024. Together, the figures describe a handful of properties close to the brook that flood in the big storms, rather than a town where water is a routine problem.
Water that does not come from the brook
For most households, likely water damage has nothing to do with the brook. The Census Bureau puts the median year built at 1957, and only about 7.5 per cent of households rent, so most homes are owner-occupied houses of mid-century age with basements. Heavy rain raises groundwater against older foundations, and drains can back up into basements during a cloudburst. The county plan points the same way: the borough's completed work since 2021 is drainage improvement, and its next priorities include de-snagging waterways and better emergency alerts.
What this means if you own or rent here
Look up your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. If it is in or beside the brook corridor, watch the Ho-Ho-Kus gauge when heavy rain or a tropical storm is forecast: 5 feet means water on Hollywood Avenue, and 7 feet means the 1999 and 2011 pattern. A new flood policy normally takes 30 days to begin. If your home is up the hill, put your effort into gutters, downspouts, grading and a sump pump with backup power, and check how your homeowners policy treats seepage and sewer backup; whether a loss is covered is decided by your insurer. Renters should know that a landlord's policy does not cover a tenant's belongings.
Common questions
Does Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ flood?
Along the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, in the largest storms. FEMA has 52 flood insurance claims on record for the borough, with the most during Floyd in 1999 and Irene in 2011. About 91 per cent of the borough's land is outside the one per cent flood zone, according to the county plan.
Where is the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook gauge and what are its flood stages?
About 500 feet upstream of Maple Avenue, according to FEMA's flood study. The National Weather Service sets minor flooding at 3 feet, moderate at 5 and major at 7. The record is 7.32 feet, set on 16 September 1999.
Is my Ho-Ho-Kus basement water a flood?
Usually not in the insurance sense. Seepage through walls or floors is generally groundwater, and water from a floor drain is a backup; flood policies are written for surface water from outside. Your policy decides how a loss is treated.
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