Natural hazards · Makaha

Makaha, HI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Makaha comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2008. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Makaha?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Makaha to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tsunamis.

Inland flooding45%Tsunamis29%Wildfire19%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Makaha faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

29% of expected damage

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

Wildfire

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Winter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesAvalanchesVolcanic activity

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 Makaha flood?

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

9paid claims since 2008

$398Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Honolulu County.

Disasters that hit Makaha

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MakahaDeclared for Honolulu County only

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

Honolulu County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Makaha

Makaha and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Makaha Valleymostly wildfiresVery high

Waianaemostly inland floodingVery high

Makahamostly inland floodingVery 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. Makaha covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Makaha’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Makaha. 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 Makaha total about $2.9M 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.