Photo: Beeblebrox at en.wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Homer faces more hazard damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Homer gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, #27 of 41 in Alaska. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (81%), then tsunamis (13%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2017.
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 Homer faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
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 Homer’s grade
Earthquakes are 81% of the building damage FEMA expects in Homer, and Homer’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Tsunamis add 13%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #27 of 41 in Alaska; higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Homer’s residents live in 2 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, Homer has more expected damage per building than 65% of Alaska towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $25.9M a year in losses across Homer: $8.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Homer flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2017
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Homer, from FEMA’s records: 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 86% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Homer isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kenai Peninsula Borough.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Homer
Disasters that paid out in Homer itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Homer), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2018Earthquake11 households applied for aid$38K aid approved
- 2011Severe Storm$100K to the City of Homer for repairs
- 2003Severe Winter Storm, Including High Winds and Freezing Temperatures9 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
- 2002Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Tidal Surge154 households applied for aid$231K aid approved$567K to the City of Homer for repairs
- 1999Severe Winter Storms and Avalanches$13K to the City of Homer for repairs
Kenai Peninsula Borough has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Also 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Kenai Peninsula Borough, 2007–2015.
Old photos of Homer after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Homer archive →Homer and its neighbors
Homer is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Ridge | Dmore damage than 94% | earthquakes | — |
| Homer | D−more damage than 95% | earthquakes | 2 |
| Kachemak | — | 805 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 Homer 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.
- Strong shaking or a sudden drop in the sea means head for high ground now.
- Learn the tsunami route signs near the shore.
- Stay away until officials say it’s safe.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Homer
Is Homer at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Homer has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #27 of 41 in Alaska. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (81%) and tsunamis (13%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Homer flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Homer since 2017, $62K in all, or 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 86% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Homer 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 Kenai Peninsula Borough, 61% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Homer?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Homer’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Homer?
By FEMA money that reached Homer, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Tidal Surge (2002): 154 households applied for aid, $231K approved, and $567K to the City of Homer for repairs.
Is Homer at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (81%), and Homer’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Homer.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Homer’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.