Natural hazards · Highlands

Highlands, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highlands comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,527 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highlands?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highlands to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding45%Coastal flooding24%Strong wind18%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Highlands faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

24% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Highlands flood?

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

1,527paid claims since 1978

$79.6Mpaid to owners

183homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 744 claims, $68.6M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 353 claims, $5.4M
Hurricane Irene: 233 claims, $4.9M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 4 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (20) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

74homes raised above flood level

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Highlands

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HighlandsDeclared for Monmouth County only

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$40K to the Borough of Highlands for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,589 households applied for aid $7.2M aid approved $5.5M to the Borough of Highlands for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

266 households applied for aid $339K aid approved $136K to the Borough of Highlands for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$43K to the Borough of Highlands for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $5K to the Borough of Highlands for repairs

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

Around Highlands

Highlands and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sea Brightmostly coastal floodingVery 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. Highlands covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highlands’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of 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 Highlands total about $2.8M 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.