Nature’s Tantrums
It’s only prudent to know which natural disasters are most likely here in Bergen—and to be prepared.
Back in July, Raquel Bruno was live-streaming when it happened. The Bergen County resident, who DJs twice a week on the video streaming service Twitch, was in the middle of her Saturday night show when she heard a loud bang from somewhere in the house. Her first thought was that her 7-year-old son had fallen out of bed. But a few seconds later she felt a rumbling under her feet and, she recalls, “I felt like I was going to go through the floor.” Her husband confirmed her suspicion that the bang and rumble were both the results of an earthquake, whose epicenter in Hasbrouck Heights happened to be six miles from Bruno’s home in southern Bergen County. (Because she performs live from her home, she chooses not to reveal her town.) Many of her followers live in California, and they made light of the 3.0-magnitude quake and Bruno’s anxious response to it. “But I told them, ‘Hey, you’re all prepared for earthquakes,’” she says. “’When you’re not prepared for one, it terrifies you.’”
Terrifying or not, earthquakes don’t pose a major threat to Bergen residents. Still, those recent quakes suggest a question: What natural disasters represent a serious threat here—and, conversely, which ones do we not need to worry much about? BERGEN posed those questions to two experts: Alexander Gates, Ph.D., a professor of earth and environmental science at Rutgers who studies geological faults and writes about natural disasters, and David Robinson, Ph.D., New Jersey’s state climatologist, who is also another earth science professor at Rutgers.
DON’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT . . .
• Earthquakes. Unlike California or earthquake-prone countries China and Indonesia, New Jersey doesn’t straddle any major fault lines—fractures in the earth’s surface between two rock masses, also known as tectonic plates, where earthquakes tend to occur. The largest earthquake to rattle Bergen and its environs was in 1884; it had a magnitude of 5.2 and knocked a few houses off their foundations and felled a steeple in Rahway. (Compare that with the devastating, 7.2-magnitude quake in China in 2008, responsible for 87,000 deaths.) “There are probably more important things to worry about here,” says Gates.
If you do experience an earthquake that lasts more than a few seconds, stay away from large structures or trees, which can be shaken loose during a quake, and if you’re inside, resist the urge to run outside, unless you have quick access to an open field. Instead, advises Gates, stay inside, drop onto your hands and knees and find cover, if possible, under a sturdy piece of furniture such as a desk. Hold on and don’t move until the shaking subsides.
• Tornadoes. We’re not in Kansas, and that’s a good thing when it comes to tornadoes. Though they do occur here, they’re rare in North Jersey and usually relatively minor. “There’s been one tornadic death in New Jersey in the past 75 years,” says Robinson.
If a tornado threatens, find shelter indoors, preferably in a basement or an interior room with no windows. If possible, bring your phone or a portable radio with you so that you can determine when the threat has passed.
BUT BE PREPARED FOR . . .
• Flooding. Bergen residents affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021 can attest to the real danger of flooding here. We’re vulnerable to flooding from major storms (including tropical storms and offshore hurricanes), long periods of rain and relatively short but extremely heavy downpours that can cause flash floods.
If flooding is imminent and authorities issue an evacuation warning, follow instructions, even if you think you can survive it in place. “You don’t want to be there when the flood comes,” says Gates. “Go to higher ground as soon as you can.” Don’t wait to see if it’s really going to be as serious as they say. Floodwaters rise fast. Only if you have the time, move valuables to the highest level of your home.
When flash flooding occurs, don’t drive into standing water, even if the car in front of you got through it unscathed; floodwaters, as noted, can rise dramatically in a very short time. “During Ida,” says Robinson, “there were 32 drowning deaths in New Jersey, and all but a couple were of people in vehicles.”
• High-wind events. Though hurricanes and tornadoes are rare in Bergen, high winds aren’t, and data suggest that, in a warming world, we could see an increasing number of high-wind events. (Like flooding, some of these events are caused by tropical storms and offshore hurricanes.) “Every year,” says Robinson, “there are multiple people killed in New Jersey from straight-line winds”—strong, non-rotating winds often exceeding 50 miles per hour, a speed at which trees can tumble and roofs can be ripped away.
If wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour are predicted, stay away from trees and power lines and don’t drive. As a preventive, Robinson advises, if you have time you can help protect your house from potential wind damage by clearing your property of dead, dying or damaged trees.
• Extreme heat. For most of us, heat waves can feel like nothing more than a nuisance, which is why we sometimes discount the potential dangers of extreme heat. Daisy Morris certainly did. In July of 2010, when the mercury rose to 105 in parts of Bergen County, the Midland Park resident decided not to forgo her daily walk. “I thought, ‘Yes, I’m in my late 50s, but I’m also very healthy,’ so I figured I’d just hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and I’d be fine,” she recalls. After a mile, she started to feel lightheaded, and by the time she was nearing home, she was experiencing heart palpitations. Her husband drove her to an urgent care center, and by then she was feeling better. “But the doctor read me the riot act,” she says. “He told me that working out in extreme heat could potentially cause a heart attack. That got my attention.”
“Daytimes aren’t getting that much hotter,” explains Robinson, “but what’s notable about the summer temperatures is how persistent they are.” He also notes that increasingly high humidity is keeping our nights warmer than usual, since moisture in the air doesn’t allow daytime heat to escape into the upper atmosphere.
Protection is relatively simple: Stay in the AC, either at home or in a cooling center, stay hydrated and avoid exertion outdoors as much as possible. The same goes for your pets. Before walking them on a paved surface, test it with your hand. If it hurts you, it will hurt your pets too.
DON’T PANIC, BUT DON’T DISCOUNT . . .
• Wildfires. As the past several summers have dramatically shown, wildfires are becoming more severe and more common around the world—and increasing periods of heat-fueled drought are intensifying the danger of wildfires. In November of 2024, for instance, a long, dry fall and high winds contributed to the wildfire that broke out in Bergen along a section of the Palisades Interstate Parkway. The Meadowlands are also wildfire-prone. “The United States had wildfires pretty much under control back in the 1970s,” says Gates. “And then things started to get out of hand in about 1980, and every year, because the earth’s surface temperature is going up, we’re drying things out much worse than they were before, which makes wildfires an increasing problem.”
If a wildfire evacuation alert is issued in your area, heed it and evacuate as quickly as possible. Only if you have time, shut off the gas supply (if you don’t know how, contact your gas and electric company for instructions—don’t wait for an emergency to do this) and turn off the AC and any fans, move propane tanks 100 feet or more away from the house, set a sprinkler on the roof to wet it down and fill sinks and tubs with cold water. And don’t discount air-quality alerts; even if you can’t smell smoke, the particulates from a wildfire, both near and far, can pose a significant danger, especially to those with preexisting breathing difficulties. If you’re in a wooded area where your house may be vulnerable to wildfire damage, take preventive measures before wildfire season: “Be cognizant of debris and flammables around the house,” says Robinson. Clear your property of brush and dead or dying vegetation, and make sure that your roof, gutters and all vents are clear of debris—a move that can mitigate flood damage as well.
• Hurricanes. Given our proximity to the Atlantic, it may be surprising to learn how few hurricanes hit us directly. “Hurricanes typically run from southwest to northeast, so they glance the state at best,” says Gates. And the relatively cool temperatures in the nearby Atlantic tend to protect us as well. “Seventy-nine degrees is the magic number for hurricanes,” Gates explains. “If the water temperature is 79 or above, hurricanes strengthen; below 79, they get weaker.” In fact, the last hurricane to make landfall (that is, to move over land after being over water) in New Jersey was an unnamed storm that roared into Atlantic City in 1903. In 2011, Irene made a direct hit on the state after being downgraded to a tropical storm, and Sandy, which followed a year later, did the same. (Its designation as a “super storm” derived from the fact that the decaying hurricane ran into a strengthening nor’easter, boosting its destructive potential.)
As ocean temperatures continue to rise, we could be more vulnerable to hurricanes, whether or not they hit us directly. Warns Robinson: “Just because a hurricane doesn’t make landfall in New Jersey, or the storm is downgraded below hurricane strength before crossing the state, doesn’t mean we can’t suffer notable impacts.”
If a hurricane does threaten the area, follow the directions of state, county and/or local authorities, especially if an evacuation order has been issued. Take that order seriously. Just because you’ve ridden out a major storm in the past doesn’t mean you’re magically immune to the next one. And be prepared: Have a “go bag” at hand (see “What To Keep in Your ‘Go Bag’— Just in Case,” below ), and find your evacuation route before an emergency occurs at nj.gov/njoem/plan/pdf/ maps/bergen_evac.pdf.
GETTING THE NEWS
For detailed information on what to do before and during all types of natural disasters in Bergen County, go to bergencountynj.gov and search “Emergency Preparedness Information.” Because you don’t want to be the last person in the county to get news of an impending natural disaster, make sure you’re up on current events, whether through the internet, broadcast news or print media. The warning chain begins with meteorologists and other scientists, who convey information about potential disasters to the governor, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and state, county and local authorities. That information is then passed along to the media. New Jersey has an excellent public warning system, but, says Robinson, “you have to have the public listening for it to work.”
WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR ‘GO BAG’— JUST IN CASE
When you get the warning to evacuate, you may have very little time to gather your belongings. That’s why it’s important to have an already prepared “go bag”—a backpack filled with enough essentials for a 72-hour emergency—stashed in an easy-to-reach spot. Make sure to include:
• bottled water
• nonperishable food such as protein bars or trail mix
• a first-aid kit
• a three-day supply of prescription medications
• photocopies of important documents like passports, driver’s licenses, birth and marriage certificates, health insurance cards, wills and living wills, etc.
• a hand-crank radio
• a change of clothing
• cash
• if you have a pet, a three-day supply of pet meds and dry pet food
