Natural hazards · Ocean

Ocean, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ocean comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 108 claims here since 1992. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ocean?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ocean to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding51%Strong wind18%Coastal flooding10%Hurricanes7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Ocean faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

10% of expected damage

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

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Ocean flood?

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

108paid claims since 1992

$3.9Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 97 claims, $3.8M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 2 claims, $17K
2025-10-Nor'easter: 2 claims, $106K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ocean 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 Ocean

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OceanDeclared for Ocean County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

4 households applied for aid

2011

Hurricane Irene

1 household applied for aid

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

Around Ocean

Ocean and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Long Beachmostly inland floodingVery high

Barnegat Lightmostly inland floodingVery high

Laceymostly inland floodingHigh

Oceanmostly inland floodingHigh

Berkeleymostly inland floodingHigh

Barnegatmostly 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. Ocean covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ocean’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Ocean. 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 Ocean total about $3.5M 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.