Ocean County, NJ
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Ocean County has experienced 33 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Jones Road Fire in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Ocean County's highest-rated hazards are strong wind, winter weather, and coastal flooding, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 26% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Ocean County has been designated in 33 declarations since 1965, covering 10 disaster types including hurricane (8), snowstorm (6), fire (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Jones Road Fire |
| 2021 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2013 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2013 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
Showing the 10 most recent of 33 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 96.7 | 40 | 0 | $71K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 98.2 | 34 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.7 | 17 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.2 | 8 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 93.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.5 | 29 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 94.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.9 | 12 | 3 | $323K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Ocean County ranks in the 41st percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 41st | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 37th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 61st | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 47th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 34th | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 92nd | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 94th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 15.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 140 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 62 in 2016–20 vs 78 in 2021–25 (+26% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Ocean County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Ocean County, New Jersey are strong wind, winter weather, and coastal flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Ocean County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Ocean County has received 33 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (8 declarations).
Has Ocean County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Ocean County include Jones Road Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Ocean County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Middlesex County, NJ has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Atlantic County, NJ has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Ocean County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Ocean County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Ocean County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Ocean County's composite score of 96 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 96% of US counties.