Leonardo’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Leonardo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 155 claims here since 1978.
What stands out about Leonardo’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Leonardo flood? Yes: 155 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Leonardo, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy88 claims · $5.9M
- The December Storm - nor’easter26 claims · $382K
- Hurricane Irene18 claims · $144K
Leonardo 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.The storms Leonardo remembers
None of the disasters declared for Monmouth County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Leonardo itself in FEMA’s records.
- 201288 flood claims paidThe most in any one year on record
- 201118 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
- 199226 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
Monmouth County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Old photos of Leonardo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Leonardo archive →How exposed is Leonardo?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.
Rated higher than 331 of the 564 New Jersey towns we cover.
Leonardo covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Leonardo faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Strong wind
Heat waves
Coastal flooding
Hurricanes
Get ready for what Leonardo 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Know the nearest cooling center or air-conditioned library.
- Drink water before you feel thirsty.
- Check on neighbors who live alone.
- 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.
Leonardo and its neighbors
Leonardo ranks 2nd calmest of 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown | High | inland flooding | 1,461 |
| Leonardo | Moderate | inland flooding | 155 |
| Atlantic Highlands | Moderate | inland flooding | 69 |
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.
Most disasters here begin in August–October
The month each of Monmouth County’s 22 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 Leonardo’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Leonardo.
- 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 Leonardo, expected losses total about $1.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Leonardo.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.