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Natural hazards · Stafford

Stafford, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Stafford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4,207 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Stafford?

68
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Stafford to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding52%Strong wind16%Coastal flooding16%Hurricanes6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Stafford faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

16% 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

16% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% 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 Stafford flood?

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

4,207paid claims since 1978
$270Mpaid to owners
118homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 3,067 claims, $259M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 665 claims, $7.0M
  • The “Halloween” storm: 52 claims, $193K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (26) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Stafford is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Ocean County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Stafford

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into StaffordDeclared for Ocean County only
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$166K to the Township of Stafford for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$4.9M to the Township of Stafford for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$90K to the Township of Stafford for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$172K to the Township of Stafford for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Township of Stafford for repairs
2009

Snowstorm

$192K to the Township of Stafford for repairs
Ocean County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Stafford

Stafford and the towns around it

Barnegat: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLong Beach: Very high, mostly inland floodingShip Bottom: Very high, mostly inland floodingSurf City: Very high, mostly inland floodingEagleswood: High, mostly coastal floodingHarvey Cedars: Very high, mostly inland floodingOcean: High, mostly inland floodingLacey: High, mostly inland floodingWoodland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLittle Egg Harbor: High, mostly inland floodingBeach Haven: Very high, mostly inland floodingBarnegat Light: Very high, mostly inland floodingStafford: High, mostly inland flooding StaffordBarnegatLong BeachShip BottomSurf CityEagleswoodHarvey Cedars
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Long Beachmostly inland floodingVery high
Ship Bottommostly inland floodingVery high
Surf Citymostly inland floodingVery high
Harvey Cedarsmostly inland floodingVery high
Eagleswoodmostly coastal floodingHigh
Staffordmostly 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. Stafford covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Stafford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Stafford. 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 Stafford total about $13.9M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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