Ocean Grove’s biggest natural hazard is strong wind
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ocean Grove comes from strong winds, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 2005.
What stands out about Ocean Grove’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
The storms Ocean Grove remembers
None of the disasters declared for Monmouth County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ocean Grove itself in FEMA’s records.
- 202311 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
- 201219 flood claims paidThe most in any one year on record
Monmouth County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Old photos of Ocean Grove after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ocean Grove archive →How exposed is Ocean Grove?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from strong winds and inland flooding.
Calmer than 320 of the 564 New Jersey towns we cover.
Ocean Grove covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
What Ocean Grove faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Strong wind
Inland flooding
Hurricanes
Does Ocean Grove flood? Sometimes: 33 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ocean Grove, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy19 claims · $904K
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $10K
Ocean Grove 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.Get ready for what Ocean Grove actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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.
Ocean Grove and its neighbors
Ocean Grove ranks 2nd calmest of 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury Park | Moderate | inland flooding | 51 |
| Ocean Grove | Moderate | strong winds | 33 |
| Neptune | Moderate | strong winds | 364 |
| Bradley Beach | Moderate | strong winds | 70 |
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 Ocean Grove’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Ocean Grove.
- 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 Ocean Grove, expected losses total about $1.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ocean Grove.
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.