Flooding in Waldwick, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Waldwick has a brook, a dammed pond and a small mapped flood zone, and a flood insurance history that is short for a borough of ten thousand people. Here is what the record shows and where the borough says its attention is going.
The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 6.16 per cent of Waldwick in the FEMA one per cent annual chance flood zone. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program has recorded 35 claims in the borough, spread across Irene, Floyd and Ida, and lists a single repetitive-loss property. The mapped risk follows the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, White's Pond and the lower end of Allendale Brook. For most homes, water from the ground and the drains is the more likely problem.
The short version
- The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 6.16 per cent of Waldwick in the one per cent flood zone, 7.65 per cent including the 0.2 per cent zone.
- FEMA records 35 NFIP claims in the borough, mostly from Irene, Floyd and Ida, and one repetitive-loss property.
- The mapped flood zone follows the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, White's Pond and the lower Allendale Brook.
- Waldwick's plan prioritises White's Pond and Dam maintenance, debris removal and elevation of repeatedly flooded buildings.
A small share of the borough
According to Table 4.6-1 of the county plan, 81.55 of Waldwick's 1,324.01 acres are in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, which is 6.16 per cent. Including the 0.2 per cent annual chance zone, the figure is 7.65 per cent. About 92 per cent of the borough lies outside both zones. The mapped strips follow water: the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook as it passes through on its way to Ho-Ho-Kus and Ridgewood, and Allendale Brook, which FEMA's flood study traces from Allendale across the Waldwick line to its junction with the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
Thirty-five claims, three storms
FEMA's OpenFEMA data list 35 National Flood Insurance Program claims for Waldwick over the life of the programme. The busiest years were 2011 with 10, 1999 with 9 and 2021 with 8. By event, FEMA ties 10 claims to Hurricane Irene, 8 to Hurricane Floyd, 7 to Hurricane Ida and 3 to the April 2007 nor'easter. FEMA's Multiple Loss Properties data, as of 2 August 2026, show one repetitive-loss property and no severe repetitive-loss properties. The US Census Bureau counts 3,490 housing units, so by our arithmetic that is about one claim for every hundred homes in more than four decades. The county plan counts 29 active flood policies in October 2024, so very few households insure against flooding.
White's Pond and the brook
The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook is dammed at White's Pond, and FEMA's flood study gives the brook a drainage area of about 14.9 square miles at the dam. In the 2026 county plan Waldwick lists the maintenance of what it calls "our White's Pond and Dam area" among its priorities for the next five years, alongside updated flood mapping, better emergency alerts and removing debris from local waterways. It will also keep evaluating repeatedly flooded buildings for elevation. There is no forecast gauge inside Waldwick; the nearest is the Hohokus Brook gauge just downstream in Ho-Ho-Kus, where the National Weather Service sets minor flood stage at 3 feet and major at 7.
What Ida did to a bank
The county plan's landslide record includes one Waldwick entry. In September 2021, floodwater from Ida eroded the bank of the Hohokus Brook behind a house, and the bank, made of glacial till, gave way. A fast brook can damage a property without entering the building, by undercutting the ground beside it. If your garden runs down to the brook, look at the bank after a major storm, and ask the borough before doing any work in or beside the channel.
Where the water usually comes from
The US Census Bureau puts the median year built of Waldwick's homes at 1956, and about 12 per cent of households rent. Mid-century houses with basements see far more water from below than from the brook. Groundwater rises after long rain and finds the joints in older foundations; downspouts that empty against the wall add to it; and when storm drains are overloaded, water can come back up a floor drain. Waldwick lists drainage system improvements among its completed mitigation work since 2021. FEMA's FloodSmart service notes that nearly a third of NFIP claims from 2014 to 2024 came from outside high-risk areas.
What this means if you own or rent here
Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and look for the 0.2 per cent zone as well. If you are close to the brook, the pond or Allendale Brook, follow the Ho-Ho-Kus gauge in heavy rain and consider whether a flood policy makes sense; a new policy normally takes 30 days to start. Everyone else should concentrate on the basement: gutters, downspouts, a sump pump with backup power, and valuables off the floor. Homeowners policies treat seepage and sewer backup differently from flood, and whether a loss is covered is decided by your insurer and your policy wording. Tenants need their own contents cover.
Common questions
Does Waldwick, NJ flood?
Rarely, and in a narrow band. FEMA has 35 flood insurance claims on record for the borough, mostly from Irene in 2011, Floyd in 1999 and Ida in 2021, and the county plan maps only 6.16 per cent of the borough in the one per cent flood zone.
Is there a flood gauge for Waldwick?
Not inside the borough. The nearest National Weather Service forecast point is the Hohokus Brook at Ho-Ho-Kus, just downstream, with minor flood stage at 3 feet and major at 7.
What is the borough doing about White's Pond?
In the 2026 county hazard mitigation plan, Waldwick lists maintenance of the White's Pond and Dam area as a priority for the next five years, together with updated flood mapping and clearing debris from waterways.
Find out who to call
Answer a few questions about what happened. You get the safety steps and the right trade whether or not you leave contact details.
Two referral lines cover this area. We have not vetted an individual company, and we will not route you to one whose coverage and registration we have not checked.
A pipe, water heater, sump pump or drain
Something inside the building failed and the water needs stopping.
Storm water, flooding or a soaked building
Water came in from outside, or the structure is wet and needs drying.
Not sure which you have? Answer a few questions and we will tell you. These are referral lines: they connect you to a company in the network, not to one this site operates or has inspected.
We are a free matching service, not a restoration contractor. Calls and requests are connected to independent providers.