Natural hazards · Big Lake

Big Lake, AK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Big Lake comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2002. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Big Lake?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Big Lake to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes90%Inland flooding5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Big Lake faces

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

Earthquakes

90% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 100 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHeat wavesStrong windDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Big Lake flood?

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

1paid claims since 2002

$6Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20022026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Big Lake isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Disasters that hit Big Lake

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Big Lake itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Big Lake.

Brought FEMA money into Big LakeDeclared for Matanuska-Susitna Borough only

2018

Earthquake

187 households applied for aid $773K aid approved

2003

Severe Winter Storm, Including High Winds and Freezing Temperatures

21 households applied for aid $43K aid approved

Matanuska-Susitna Borough has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Big Lake

Big Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Houstonmostly earthquakesVery high

Big Lakemostly earthquakesVery high

Point MacKenziemostly earthquakesVery high

Knik-Fairviewmostly earthquakesVery high

Willowmostly avalanchesVery high

Meadow Lakesmostly avalanchesVery high

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. Big Lake covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Big Lake’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Big Lake. 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 Big Lake total about $3.5M 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.