Natural hazards · Monroe

Monroe, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Monroe comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 76 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Monroe?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Monroe to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Strong wind6%Earthquakes5%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Monroe faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Monroe flood?

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

76paid claims since 1978

$4.9Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 38 claims, $2.5M
Tropical Storm Henri: 22 claims, $2.3M
April 2007 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $14K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Monroe isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Middlesex County.

Disasters that hit Monroe

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MonroeDeclared for Middlesex County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

10 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

118 households applied for aid $53K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

49 households applied for aid $176K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $899 aid approved

Middlesex County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Monroe

Monroe and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Windsormostly inland floodingVery high

Manalapanmostly inland floodingHigh

Millstonemostly inland floodingHigh

Spotswoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Cranburymostly inland floodingHigh

Helmettamostly inland floodingHigh

Monroemostly inland floodingModerate

East Brunswickmostly inland floodingModerate

Old Bridgemostly inland floodingModerate

South Brunswickmostly inland floodingLow

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. Monroe covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Monroe’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Monroe. 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 Monroe total about $19.2M 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.