Natural hazards · Atlantic Highlands

Atlantic Highlands, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Atlantic Highlands comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 69 claims here since 1984. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Atlantic Highlands?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Atlantic Highlands to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding35%Strong wind33%Heat waves12%Hurricanes7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Atlantic Highlands faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

33% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Atlantic Highlands flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Atlantic Highlands, from FEMA’s records.

69paid claims since 1984

$3.9Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19842026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 40 claims, $3.5M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 10 claims, $149K
Hurricane Irene: 10 claims, $115K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Atlantic Highlands isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Monmouth County.

Disasters that hit Atlantic Highlands

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Atlantic Highlands itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands.

Brought FEMA money into Atlantic HighlandsDeclared for Monmouth County only

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$95K to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands for repairs

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$30K to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

318 households applied for aid $314K aid approved $1.0M to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

124 households applied for aid $167K aid approved $60K to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$16K to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $293K to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands for repairs

Monmouth County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Atlantic Highlands

Atlantic Highlands and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highlandsmostly inland floodingVery high

Middletownmostly inland floodingHigh

Atlantic Highlandsmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Atlantic Highlands covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Atlantic Highlands’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Atlantic Highlands total about $1.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.