Natural hazards · Ship Bottom

Ship Bottom, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ship Bottom comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,424 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ship Bottom?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ship Bottom to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding40%Coastal flooding40%Strong wind12%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Ship Bottom faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

40% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ship Bottom flood?

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

1,424paid claims since 1980

$69.6Mpaid to owners

37homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 1,033 claims, $64.8M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 264 claims, $3.4M
The “Halloween” storm: 17 claims, $108K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (13) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Ship Bottom is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Ocean County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

51homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Ship Bottom

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Ship BottomDeclared for Ocean County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

1,051 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved $838K to the Borough of Ship Bottom for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

3 households applied for aid $7K to the Borough of Ship Bottom for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$16K to the Borough of Ship Bottom for repairs

2009

Snowstorm

$14K to the Borough of Ship Bottom for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Ida and a Nor'eas

$17K to the Borough of Ship Bottom for repairs

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

Around Ship Bottom

Ship Bottom and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Long Beachmostly inland floodingVery high

Ship Bottommostly inland floodingVery high

Surf Citymostly inland floodingVery high

Staffordmostly 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. Ship Bottom is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ship Bottom’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Ship Bottom. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.