Oscar Gill House · Photo: 61north · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, Anchorage faces more hazard damage per building than 93% of U.S. towns, mostly from earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Anchorage gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 93% of U.S. towns, #24 of 41 in Alaska. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (98%). Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1988.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Anchorage’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Anchorage faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Anchorage’s grade
Earthquakes are 98% of the building damage FEMA expects in Anchorage, and Anchorage’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Tsunamis add 1%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D #24 of 41 in Alaska; higher expected damage per building than 93% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Anchorage’s residents live in 61 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Alaska town has higher expected damage than 93% of U.S. towns; within the state, Anchorage has more expected damage per building than 58% of Alaska towns.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Anchorage has higher expected damage per building than 88% (#354 of 400). Because it is so big, its total expected yearly loss, $421M, is the 14th largest of those 400.
Does Anchorage flood? Sometimes: 25 flood claims since 1988
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Anchorage, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Anchorage is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Anchorage Borough.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Anchorage
Disasters that paid out in Anchorage itself (aid to households or repair grants to Anchorage), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2018Earthquake4,630 households applied for aid$13.3M aid approved
- 2003Severe Winter Storm, Including High Winds and Freezing Temperatures312 households applied for aid$130K aid approved
Anchorage Borough has had 4 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Anchorage after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Anchorage archive →Anchorage and its neighbors
Anchorage has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | Dmore damage than 93% | earthquakes | 25 |
| Knik River | — | 883 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Anchorage faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
- Anchorage residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Anchorage
Is Anchorage at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Anchorage has higher expected damage per building than 93% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #24 of 41 in Alaska. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (98%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Anchorage flood?
Flood insurance has paid 25 claims in Anchorage since 1988, $256K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Anchorage in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Anchorage Borough, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Anchorage?
Anchorage is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Anchorage?
By FEMA money that reached Anchorage, Earthquake (2018): 4,630 households applied for aid, $13.3M approved.
Is Anchorage at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (98%), and Anchorage’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Anchorage.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Anchorage’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.