Natural hazards · Paia

Paia, HI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Paia?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paia to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tsunamis.

Inland flooding42%Tsunamis30%Earthquakes21%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Paia faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

30% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesAvalanches

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 Paia flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Paia.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Paia 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.

Disasters that hit Paia

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PaiaDeclared for Maui County only

2026

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

13 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2023

Wildfires and High Winds

84 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

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

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. Paia covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Paia. 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 Paia total about $1.9M 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.