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Natural hazards · Toms River

Toms River, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Toms River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8,425 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Toms River?

60
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Toms River to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding54%Strong wind19%Hurricanes7%Coastal flooding6%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Toms River faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

19% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

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 Toms River flood?

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

8,425paid claims since 1978
$610Mpaid to owners
286homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 6,758 claims, $588M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 644 claims, $6.7M
  • Hurricane Irene: 338 claims, $9.0M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 5 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (96) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Toms River 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

274homes raised above flood level
3buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Toms River

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Toms RiverDeclared for Ocean County only
2021

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$51K to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$1.1M to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

7,967 households applied for aid $30.8M aid approved $27.4M to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

193 households applied for aid $450K aid approved $200K to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$698K to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

45 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $225K to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2009

Snowstorm

$411K to the Township of Toms River for repairs
2009

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

$393K to the Township of Toms River for repairs
Ocean County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Toms River

Toms River and the towns around it

Manchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLavallette: Very high, mostly inland floodingBerkeley: High, mostly inland floodingBrick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingIsland Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Toms River: High, mostly inland floodingSeaside Heights: High, mostly inland floodingLacey: High, mostly inland floodingJackson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlumsted: High, mostly inland floodingOcean: High, mostly inland floodingPine Beach: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBeachwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSeaside Park: Very high, mostly inland floodingLakewood: Low, mostly inland floodingWall: Moderate, mostly strong windsPoint Pleasant: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMantoloking: Very high, mostly inland floodingHowell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingToms River: High, mostly inland flooding Toms RiverManchesterLavalletteBerkeleyBrickIsland HeightsSouth Toms RiverSeaside Heights
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lavallettemostly inland floodingVery high
Seaside Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh
South Toms Rivermostly inland floodingHigh
Berkeleymostly inland floodingHigh
Toms Rivermostly inland floodingHigh
Brickmostly inland floodingModerate
Island Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate
Manchestermostly 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. Toms River covers 22 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Toms River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Toms River. 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 Toms River total about $33.7M 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Toms River, NJOcean CountyView boundary

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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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