Natural hazards · Kula

Kula, HI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kula comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2025. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kula?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kula to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding69%Earthquakes17%Wildfire8%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Kula faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Wildfire

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Kula flood?

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

1paid claims since 2025

$54Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20252026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Maui County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Kula

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KulaDeclared for Maui County only

2026

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

102 households applied for aid $365K aid approved

2023

Wildfires and High Winds

1,135 households applied for aid $852K aid approved

Maui County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and hurricanes.

Around Kula

Kula and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Keokeamostly inland floodingVery high

Kulamostly inland floodingVery high

Olindamostly inland floodingVery high

Makawaomostly inland floodingVery high

Pukalanimostly inland floodingHigh

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. Kula covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kula’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Kula. 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 Kula total about $3.0M 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.