Monmouth County Flood & Storm Prep Guide: Official Resources by Town
This guide collects the official flood, storm and outage resources for Monmouth County in one place: county and state tools, each town's emergency management page and alert sign-up, flood-zone lookups, and a short checklist for before, during and after a storm. Every link goes to a government agency, the utility or the official system a town uses. Links and phone numbers were last checked on November 9, 2026. If something has changed, please let us know so we can fix it.
In an emergency, call 911. Follow evacuation orders from your town and the county.
Countywide and statewide resources
- Monmouth County emergency alerts (SMART Alert sign-up) : Free county alerts by text, email or phone. You can enter up to two Monmouth County addresses to get location-based alerts.
- Know Your Zone: coastal evacuation zones and address lookup : Zones A to D are based on storm surge. The county stresses that evacuation zones are not flood zones.
- Monmouth County OEM: Flood Information : County flood maps, real-time water levels and links to FEMA and NJ flood tools.
- Monmouth County OEM: Emergency Preparedness : Kits, plans and sheltering. County OEM questions: 732-431-7400.
- Monmouth County E.V.A.C.S. (access and functional needs registry) : For residents who may need help during an evacuation.
- NJ Register Ready : The state registry for people who may need help in an emergency. You can also register by calling 2-1-1.
- NJ OEM: Floods & Flash Floods : State flood safety guidance.
- NJ OEM: Evacuation routes : State coastal evacuation information.
- NJ OEM: Staying Informed : Statewide alert options. Text your ZIP code to 888777 to get Nixle alerts.
- JCP&L outage map : To report an outage, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or text OUT to 544487. Call 911 for downed wires.
- JCP&L storm information : Outage prep and downed-line safety. Stay at least 30 feet from downed lines.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center : The official FEMA flood maps (FIRMs) for any address.
- NJDEP Flood Indicator Tool : Screens a property for flood-risk indicators, including FEMA and state flood hazard areas.
- NJDEP: Know Your Flood Risk : Includes New Jersey's flood-risk disclosure rules for home sales and rentals.
- NJ Flood Mapper (Rutgers) : Sea-level-rise and flood scenarios.
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly : The National Weather Service office that issues watches and warnings for Monmouth County.
- NOAA tide gauge: Sandy Hook : Live water levels and tide predictions for the Bayshore and the rivers.
- FloodSmart (National Flood Insurance Program) : Flood insurance basics and an agent finder.
- NJ 211 : Help finding shelters, warming centers and assistance. Dial 2-1-1.
Town-by-town resources
Where a town has no flood-zone page of its own, use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or the NJDEP Flood Indicator Tool. Where a town has no alert system of its own listed online, use the county's SMART Alert. Statewide, you can also text your ZIP code to 888777 for Nixle alerts.
Power outages (JCP&L customers): outage map, 1-888-544-4877, or text OUT to 544487. If another company sends your electric bill, use that company's outage line.
Where flooding happens: notes from official plans
- Middletown: Middletown publishes a list of flood-prone streets and coastal evacuation routes. The NJDEP's Port Monmouth flood-control facility opens and closes its gates automatically with the tides during storms. Before past storms, the township has advised residents on flood-prone streets to move their cars to higher ground.
- Hazlet: The county hazard mitigation plan identifies the West Keansburg neighborhood as a FEMA special flood hazard area that floods from Thornes Creek and Waackaack Creek.
- Keansburg and Union Beach: Both towns publish property-level flood data, including flood zones, base flood elevations and elevation certificates, through the Forerunner portals linked above.
- Keyport: The borough's hazard mitigation plan lists 95 commercial and residential properties in FEMA's flood zone for mitigation, and calls for tide valves and a floodproofed Maple Place pump station.
- Aberdeen: According to the township's hazard mitigation plan, the intersection of Greenwood Avenue, Lakeshore Drive and Ocean Boulevard floods during high tides, full moons, heavy rain and coastal storms.
- Highlands: The borough links a tidal flooding dashboard and guidance on where to park during tidal flooding.
- Red Bank: In Superstorm Sandy, surge flooded properties along the Navesink and Swimming River shorelines and hit the marina area hard, according to the borough's hazard mitigation plan.
- Inland towns (Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro, Howell, Englishtown, Colts Neck): Flooding inland is usually flash flooding from heavy rain on streams, low roads and basements. NJDEP notes that flash flooding is becoming more likely, even in places that haven't flooded before. Check the NJDEP Flood Indicator Tool even if FEMA's map shows you outside a flood zone.
Sources: the town pages linked above, and the town sections of the 2020 Monmouth County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan: Hazlet, Keyport, Aberdeen, Red Bank. NJDEP: Know Your Flood Risk.
Flood & storm prep checklist
Before storm season
- ☐ Look up your evacuation zone(Know Your Zone) and your flood zone(FEMA Flood Map Service Center or the NJDEP Flood Indicator Tool). They are different.
- ☐ Sign up for county alerts (SMART Alert) and your town's alert system from the table above.
- ☐ If anyone in your home would need help evacuating, register with NJ Register Ready or the county's E.V.A.C.S.
- ☐ Check whether you have flood insurance. Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and a new NFIP flood policy usually has a 30-day waiting period before it takes effect.
- ☐ Photograph or video each room and your major belongings for your records.
- ☐ Keep important documents in a waterproof container, with password-protected digital copies.
- ☐ Clean gutters, point downspouts away from the house, and clear leaves from the storm drain in front of your home if you can do it safely.
- ☐ Test your sump pump. Consider a battery backup and backflow (check) valves.
- ☐ Learn where your water main, gas and electric shutoffs are.
- ☐ Save the JCP&L outage number (1-888-544-4877) and text code (OUT to 544487) in your phone.
When a storm is forecast
- ☐ Charge phones and power banks, and keep a battery radio and flashlights ready.
- ☐ Move valuables, documents and electronics off basement and ground floors.
- ☐ Bring in or tie down outdoor furniture, grills and trash cans.
- ☐ If your street floods, move your car to higher ground before the storm. On the Bayshore, check the tide times at the Sandy Hook gauge.
- ☐ Follow official evacuation orders for your zone.
During and after
- ☐ Turn around, don't drown. The National Weather Service warns that 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, and 12 inches can carry away most cars.
- ☐ Stay at least 30 feet from downed power lines and call 911. Stay out of flooded basements, even if the power is off.
- ☐ Run generators only outdoors, never in a garage, basement or near open windows. Disconnect the power coming into your home before you use one.
- ☐ Photograph damage, water lines on walls and damaged items before you clean up or throw anything away. Keep receipts.
- ☐ Report the damage to your insurer and, where your town asks for it, to your township (Middletown has an online flood-damage report).
- ☐ Treat floodwater and sewage backup as contaminated. Keep children and pets out of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is my evacuation zone the same as my flood zone?
No. Monmouth County's coastal evacuation zones (A to D) are based on storm surge from hypothetical worst-case storms. FEMA flood zones are used for flood insurance and building rules. Look up both: Know Your Zone for evacuation, and the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or the NJDEP Flood Indicator Tool for flood zones.
How do I find my flood zone in Monmouth County?
Enter your address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or the NJDEP Flood Indicator Tool. Middletown, Hazlet, Aberdeen, Union Beach, Keansburg, Highlands and Sea Bright also publish property-level flood information through their Forerunner portals, linked in the table.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?
Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, according to FEMA's FloodSmart site. Flood coverage usually comes from a separate flood policy, and a new NFIP policy typically has a 30-day waiting period. Check your own policy or ask your agent.
How do I report a power outage to JCP&L?
Call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), text OUT to 544487, or use the JCP&L outage map. Call 911 for downed wires, and stay at least 30 feet away.
Where can I get sandbags?
None of the official town pages we checked lists a year-round sandbag program. When sandbags are offered, they are usually announced before a specific storm, so sign up for your town's alerts and watch its website.
More guides: Storm prep checklist · Flooded basement or sump pump failure · After a long power outage · Tree on the house · The insurance claim process · All Resource Center guides
This guide was compiled by MaxClean Restoration, a water, fire and storm restoration company at 11 Bannard Street, Freehold, NJ. It is free to share and link to. If you need cleanup after a flood or storm, call 732-539-2942(24/7).
