New Jersey drought risk
Atlantic County has the highest drought risk in New Jersey, scoring 84.2 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic County | 84.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 2 | Cumberland County | 84 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 3 | Salem County | 79.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Warren County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 5 | Gloucester County | 77.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 6 | Middlesex County | 75 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Hunterdon County | 73 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 8 | Burlington County | 72.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Monmouth County | 71.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 10 | Camden County | 69.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 11 | Morris County | 66.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 12 | Ocean County | 62.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Mercer County | 62.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Somerset County | 58.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Cape May County | 57.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Sussex County | 50.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Passaic County | 46.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Bergen County | 37.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Union County | 29.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Hudson County | 25.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Essex County | 25.5 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Drought risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in New Jersey:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest drought risk county in New Jersey?
Atlantic County, NJ has the highest drought risk in New Jersey, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 84.2 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").
What causes drought risk in New Jersey?
Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.