Natural hazards · Freehold

Freehold, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Freehold comes from strong winds, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Freehold?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Freehold to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from strong winds and inland flooding.

Strong wind31%Inland flooding29%Heat waves17%Earthquakes9%Hurricanes6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Freehold faces

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

Strong wind

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Freehold flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$6Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Freehold 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 Freehold

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FreeholdDeclared for Monmouth County only

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$147K to the Borough of Freehold for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

943 households applied for aid $109K aid approved $592K to the Borough of Freehold for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

833 households applied for aid $2.5M aid approved $80K to the Borough of Freehold for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$18K to the Borough of Freehold for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

65 households applied for aid $82K aid approved $60K to the Borough of Freehold for repairs

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

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. Freehold covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Freehold’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Freehold. 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 Freehold total about $3.6M 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.