Forked River’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forked River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 786 claims here since 1978.
What stands out about Forked River’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Forked River flood? Yes: 786 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Forked River, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy463 claims · $19.2M
- The December Storm - nor’easter83 claims · $1.2M
- The “Halloween” storm37 claims · $442K
Forked River isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Ocean County.What Forked River faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Coastal flooding
Strong wind
The storms Forked River remembers
None of the disasters declared for Ocean County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Forked River itself in FEMA’s records.
- 2012463 flood claims paidThe most in any one year on record
- 199286 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
- 199143 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
Ocean County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Old photos of Forked River after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Forked River archive →How exposed is Forked River?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.
Rated higher than 550 of the 564 New Jersey towns we cover.
Forked River covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Get ready for what Forked River actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Forked River and its neighbors
Forked River has the highest rating of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Disasters here can come any time of year
The month each of Ocean County’s 27 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Forked River’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Forked River.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Forked River, expected losses total about $2.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Forked River.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Weather alerts: National Weather Service. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.