Natural hazards · Manchester

Manchester, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Manchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Manchester?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Manchester to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding45%Strong wind24%Hurricanes9%Everything else23%

By hazard

What Manchester 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

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% 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 wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Manchester flood?

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

15paid claims since 1978

$1.1Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $1.1M
March 2010 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $25K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Manchester 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.

Disasters that hit Manchester

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ManchesterDeclared for Ocean County only

2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$86K to the Township of Manchester for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

195 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $297K to the Township of Manchester for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

17 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $36K to the Township of Manchester for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$62K to the Township of Manchester for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $72 aid approved $2K to the Township of Manchester for repairs

2009

Snowstorm

$86K to the Township of Manchester for repairs

Ocean County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Manchester

Manchester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Laceymostly inland floodingHigh

Plumstedmostly inland floodingHigh

Toms Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

Manchestermostly 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. Manchester covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Manchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Manchester. 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 Manchester total about $11.9M 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.