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927 Fireman Union Beach, NJPhoto: LittleGun · CC BY-SA 3.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Union Beach · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Union Beach than in 80% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Union Beach gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, #377 of 468 in New Jersey. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (33%), then coastal flooding (29%). Flood insurance has paid 1,416 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 33%Coastal flooding 29%Strong wind 28%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 80%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#377 of 468 in New Jersey
Hazard risk
C−#377 of 468
in New Jersey · higher than 80% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
33% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1,416
paid since 1978 · $90.2M
Flooded more than once
66
properties · 21 “severe repetitive loss”
Flood insurance
15% off
Community discount (class 7)

What stands out about Union Beach’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

1,416 paid flood claims since 1978$90.2M in all; 66 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 100% of U.S. towns.15% off flood insuranceFlood-proofing work earns Union Beach residents a discount through FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7).Coastal flooding: the top 1% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for coastal flooding here ranks in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts; it is 28.7% of the damage it expects.Moved out of harm’s way62 homes raised above flood level with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Union Beach faces

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

River and rain flooding

33%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

29%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

28%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Ice storms Tornadoes Wildfire Winter storms Lightning Hail Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 11% of Union Beach’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Union Beach’s grade

River and rain flooding is 33% of the building damage FEMA expects in Union Beach, and Union Beach’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 67% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 29%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Union Beach sits
Union Beach
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #377 of 468 in New Jersey; higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Union Beach’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding33%Coastal flooding29%Strong wind28%Everything else10%

The typical New Jersey town has higher expected damage than 56% of U.S. towns; within the state, Union Beach has more expected damage per building than 81% of New Jersey towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across Union Beach: $1.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Union Beach’s 5,723 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Union Beach flood? Yes: 1,416 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Union Beach, from FEMA’s records: 606.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 100% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 2 claims1979: 1 claim1980: 3 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 10 claims1985: 2 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 6 claims1989: 1 claim1990: 0 claims1991: 3 claims1992: 189 claims1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 26 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 3 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 1 claim2002: 3 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 1 claim2005: 4 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 2 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 1 claim2010: 63 claims2011: 44 claims2012: 1,045 claims2013: 1 claim2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 1 claim2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 1 claim2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199220102012
19782026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Sandy1,044 claims · $86.4M
  • The December Storm - nor’easter187 claims · $1.9M
  • The March 2010 nor’easter63 claims · $875K
1,416
paid claims since 1978
$90.2M
paid to owners
66
homes flooded more than once
$64K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
Each house = 2 homesFEMA “severe repetitive loss” (21)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount15% off flood insurance

Union Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Monmouth County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
62homes raised above flood level
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Union Beach

Disasters that paid out in Union Beach itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Union Beach), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2020Tropical Storm Isaias$18K to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs
  2. 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$23K to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs
  3. 2012Hurricane Sandy1,824 households applied for aid$13.2M aid approved$7.7M to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs1,044 flood claims paid for it, $86.4M
  4. 2011Hurricane Irene41 households applied for aid$32K aid approved$102K to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs43 flood claims paid for it, $522K
  5. 2010Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$14K to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs
  6. 2010Severe Storms and Flooding72 households applied for aid$55K aid approved$349K to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Union BeachMonmouth County only

Monmouth County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.

Were you here?

Old photos of Union Beach after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Union Beach archive →
Next door

Union Beach and its neighbors

Union Beach is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Keansburg: hazard risk C+Hazlet Township: hazard risk CKeyport: hazard risk B−KeansburgHazlet TownshipKeyportUnion Beach
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
KeyportB−less damage than 51%strong wind147
KeansburgC+more damage than 58%strong wind1,147
Hazlet TownshipCmore damage than 67%river and rain flooding90
Union BeachC−more damage than 80%river and rain flooding1,416

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what Union Beach faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the tide surges
  • Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
  • Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
  • Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
More from Ready.gov ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
  • Union Beach residents get 15% off flood insurance.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Union Beach

Is Union Beach at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Union Beach has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #377 of 468 in New Jersey. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (33%) and coastal flooding (29%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Union Beach flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1,416 claims in Union Beach since 1978, $90.2M in all, or 606.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 100% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 66 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (1,044).

Is Union Beach in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Monmouth County, 70% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 7.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Union Beach?

Union Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Union Beach?

By FEMA money that reached Union Beach, Hurricane Sandy (2012): 1,824 households applied for aid, $13.2M approved, and $7.7M to the Borough of Union Beach for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 1,044 paid, $86.4M.

Is Union Beach at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (33%), and Union Beach’s rate for it is lower than 67% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Union Beach.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Union Beach’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.