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Natural hazards · Seaside Heights

Seaside Heights, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Seaside Heights comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 866 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Seaside Heights?

74
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Seaside Heights to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Strong wind14%Coastal flooding11%Hurricanes5%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Seaside Heights faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

14% 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

11% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% 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 wavesEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

WildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Seaside Heights flood?

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

866paid claims since 1978
$54.7Mpaid to owners
39homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 715 claims, $53.1M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 26 claims, $298K
  • Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $136K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Seaside Heights 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Seaside Heights

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Seaside Heights itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of Seaside Heights.

Brought FEMA money into Seaside HeightsDeclared for Ocean County only
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Borough of Seaside Heights for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

4,590 households applied for aid $22.3M aid approved $11.0M to the Borough of Seaside Heights for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

32 households applied for aid $25K aid approved
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$21K to the Borough of Seaside Heights for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid
Ocean County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Seaside Heights

Seaside Heights and the towns around it

Toms River: High, mostly inland floodingBerkeley: High, mostly inland floodingManchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLavallette: Very high, mostly inland floodingBrick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingIsland Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Toms River: High, mostly inland floodingLacey: High, mostly inland floodingOcean: High, mostly inland floodingPine Beach: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBeachwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSeaside Park: Very high, mostly inland floodingSeaside Heights: High, mostly inland flooding Seaside HeightsToms RiverBerkeley
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Seaside Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh
Berkeleymostly inland floodingHigh
Toms Rivermostly inland floodingHigh
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. Seaside Heights covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Seaside Heights’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Seaside Heights. 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 Seaside Heights total about $1.4M 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.

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