Ocean County, New Jersey: hazard risk
FEMA rates Ocean County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.2 of 100, higher than 96% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 2,279 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.9 | $39M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.4 | $2.2M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 98.2 | $19M |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.9 | $2.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.7 | $100M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 94.5 | $1.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 93.2 | $13M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.5 | $7.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.7 | $6.6M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.2 | $3.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | $7.2M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.8 | $318K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.5 | $366K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.2 | $1.1M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.5 | $2K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 437 | 4 | $661M | 12th of 20 | 39th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 408 | 1 | $1.7M | 19th of 20 | 656th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 342 | 5 | $11M | 19th of 20 | 320th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 263 | 2 | $13.0B | 12th of 20 | 69th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 159 | 3 | – | 11th of 20 | 139th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 91 | 0 | $802K | 18th of 20 | 71st of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 89 | 20 | $51M | 3rd of 20 | 14th of 2,080 |
| Hail | 89 | 0 | $8K | 13th of 20 | 1791st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 87 | 0 | – | 16th of 20 | 614th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 78 | 5 | $2.6M | 7th of 20 | 23rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 59 | 1 | – | 15th of 20 | 454th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 50 | 3 | $9.6M | 7th of 20 | 81st of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 28 | 0 | $2.2M | 3rd of 20 | 34th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 0 | $31M | 9th of 20 | 1704th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Ocean County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.