Natural hazards · Waimalu

Waimalu, HI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waimalu comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1991.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Waimalu?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waimalu to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding66%Earthquakes27%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Waimalu faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

Winter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Waimalu flood?

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

1paid claims since 1991

$11Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Waimalu 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 Waimalu

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Honolulu County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Waimalu itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WaimaluDeclared for Honolulu County only

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

Around Waimalu

Waimalu and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pearl Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Waimalumostly inland floodingHigh

Aieamostly 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. Waimalu covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

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