Flood Information

Flooding and other drainage problems can result after several inches of rain in a short period of time or after several days of continued rain. Over the past 20 years, our community has experienced numerous storms or rainfall events causing flood damage. If you are looking at buying a property, it is a good idea to check out the possible flood hazard before you buy and the need to have flood insurance to protect yourself and your property.

Special Flood Hazard Areas

Areas in the Borough of South River are located in the AE -14 Base Floodplain. This means that for insurance purposes, any structure or property located below AE 14 is at risk due to flooding.

Portions of South River have been historically susceptible to flooding. Flooding can be caused by hurricanes, tropical storms, coastal storms, commonly referred to as Northeasters, and occasional high tides with heavy rain events. Flood water can fill the streets and low-lying areas from six inches to two feet of water during normal rain events, depending on the elevation of the ground, with increased flooding during major storms. Flood events such as during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Sandy resulted in hundreds of homes/businesses suffering storm/flood-related damage.

You can check on Special Flood Hazard Areas in your neighborhood by looking at the Flood Insurance Rate Maps at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Map Service Center.

Insurance Claims

From 1978 to 2013 South River Borough Residents have filed 353 Flood Insurance Claims totaling $12,131,273.50. Of the 353 Flood Insurance Claims 82 properties are considered to be repetitive loss properties. Repetitive loss properties are those properties for which two or more claims of more than $1,000 have been paid by the National Flood Insurance Program (NIFP) within any 10 year period since 1978. Additional information on protecting your home and insurance requirements in the Special Flood Hazard Area can be found on the South River Flood Information (PDF).