Flooding in Westwood, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Westwood is a small borough with an outsized flood record. Two brooks meet inside it, the Pascack and the Musquapsink, and the county, FEMA and the US Geological Survey have all documented what happens when they rise together.
The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 18.49 per cent of Westwood's land in FEMA's 1 per cent annual chance flood zone, a larger share than any of the towns upstream on Pascack Brook. FEMA counts 684 National Flood Insurance Program claims in the borough, the sixth-highest total in Bergen County, and lists 100 repetitive-loss properties, 41 of them severe. The worst year was 2011, when Hurricane Irene pushed Pascack Brook to its second-largest flood on record. The largest, in September 1999, destroyed the stream gauge itself.
The short version
- The Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan puts 18.49 per cent of Westwood's land in the 1 per cent annual chance flood zone.
- FEMA records 684 flood insurance claims in Westwood, the sixth-highest total in Bergen County, with 270 in 2011 alone.
- FEMA lists 100 repetitive-loss properties in the borough, 41 of them severe, as of August 2026.
- The September 1999 flood destroyed the Pascack Brook gauge in Westwood; Irene in 2011 was the second-largest flood on record there.
- Westwood holds FEMA Community Rating System Class 8 and has used FEMA grants for home elevations.
How much of Westwood is in the flood zone
Table 4.6-1 of the Bergen County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan measures 272.44 acres of Westwood, or 18.49 per cent of its 1,473 acres of land, inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, the zone FEMA expects to flood in a 1 per cent annual chance event. Add the 0.2 per cent annual chance zone and the share rises to 23.59 per cent, nearly a quarter of the borough. That is higher than River Vale across the brook, at 14.54 per cent, and Hillsdale upstream, at 11.25. One low corridor follows Pascack Brook down the eastern side of town; a second follows the Musquapsink through Bogert Pond to the point where it joins the Pascack on the River Vale line. Whether a given lot falls inside the zone is shown, address by address, on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
What the claims record shows
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program data list 684 claims in Westwood over the life of the programme. The US Census Bureau counts 4,192 housing units, so by our arithmetic that is about 163 claims for every 1,000 homes, the fourth-highest rate in the county after Rochelle Park, Little Ferry and Moonachie. The heaviest year was 2011, with 270 claims, followed by 1999 with 121, 2007 with 115 and 2021 with 60. By named event, FEMA attributes 152 claims to Hurricane Irene, 117 to Hurricane Floyd, 111 to the April 2007 nor'easter and 58 to Ida. The same houses tend to come back: FEMA's multiple-loss file, as of 2 August 2026, lists 100 repetitive-loss properties in the borough, 41 of them in the severe category. The county plan counts 230 active flood policies in Westwood as of October 2024, more than any other town on the brook.
Two brooks and a gauge that washed away
Pascack Brook drains 29.6 square miles above the US Geological Survey gauge in Westwood, according to FEMA's countywide Flood Insurance Study. The study records that the flood of 16 September 1999 destroyed the gauge house, with a best estimated peak of 9,630 cubic feet per second, far above the 1 per cent annual chance flow, and that the peak was worsened by a dam failure upstream. Hurricane Irene produced the second-largest flood, 4,630 cubic feet per second on 28 August 2011. USGS peak records give gauge heights of 12.22 feet for 1999, 8.69 feet for Irene, 7.36 feet in April 2007 and 7.42 feet after Ida in September 2021. The National Weather Service puts flood stage at 5 feet and major flooding at 6.5, and notes that at 4 feet a foot of water can lie on Washington Avenue and Broadway, affecting businesses on Broadway north of Lake Street.
Why the water lingers
Pascack Brook does not end in Westwood. It runs on into the Oradell Reservoir, and FEMA's flood study notes that the lower Pascack floods when the reservoir is at a high stage. The study also points out that small local streams usually peak and recede quickly, while reservoir levels lag behind and depend on water supply operations at the time. The Woodcliff Lake reservoir upstream softens most flood peaks, but the study is explicit that it is a water supply reservoir, not designed or used for flood control. For Westwood that means a brook which rises fast in a downpour, with no guaranteed outlet when storms arrive back to back.
What the borough has done
Westwood joined FEMA's Community Rating System in 2016 and holds Class 8, which the county plan says gives flood policies in the high-risk zone a 10 per cent premium discount and others 5 per cent. In 2012 Westwood was named among seven New Jersey towns in the second round of post-Irene FEMA grants for voluntary buyouts and elevations, as NJBIZ reported. More recently, Pascack Press reported that the borough council accepted a 2022 FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance grant to raise four homes on Harding, Fitzgerald and Benson avenues above the base flood elevation, with at least two feet of freeboard. The county plan records that Westwood surveyed its waterways by drone and wants any fix to be multi-jurisdictional, so that risk is not simply shifted to neighbouring towns; the borough reported 128 downed trees, 45 sediment shoals and 21 areas of erosion.
What this means if you own or rent here
Start with the map: check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and remember that Floyd, Irene and Ida all reached homes some distance from the brook. Bookmark the Pascack Brook at Westwood gauge page and note that water reaches downtown streets around 4 feet, before official flood stage. Flood is a separate policy from homeowners insurance, and FEMA states that a new policy normally takes 30 days to take effect, so buy before the forecast, not during it. About 37 per cent of Westwood households rent, according to the US Census Bureau, and a landlord's policy does not cover a tenant's belongings. Owners of repeatedly flooded homes can ask the borough and NJDEP Blue Acres about voluntary buyouts or elevation. Whether a particular loss is covered is decided by your insurer and your policy wording.
Common questions
Does Westwood, NJ flood?
Yes. FEMA counts 684 flood insurance claims in Westwood, the sixth-highest total in Bergen County, and the county hazard mitigation plan puts 18.49 per cent of its land in the 1 per cent annual chance flood zone. Most of the flooding comes from Pascack Brook and the Musquapsink.
At what level does Pascack Brook flood in Westwood?
The National Weather Service sets flood stage at 5 feet on the Pascack Brook at Westwood gauge, moderate at 6 and major at 6.5. Its impact statement says a foot of water can reach Washington Avenue and Broadway at 4 feet. Irene reached 8.69 feet in 2011, according to USGS records.
Can I get a flood insurance discount in Westwood?
Westwood takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 8, which the county plan says brings a 10 per cent discount for policies in the high-risk zone and 5 per cent elsewhere. Your agent can confirm what applies to your policy.
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