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Kivalina 2Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shorezone/ · CC BY 2.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Kivalina · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Kivalina

Kivalina isn’t graded for hazard risk: Kivalina has 809 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 5 declared for Northwest Arctic Borough
By hazard

What Kivalina faces

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

River and rain flooding

42%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 98% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

38%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts

Wildfire

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Winter storms top 1% Cold waves top 2% Ice storms Landslides Tornadoes Lightning Avalanches top 1% Volcanic activity
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesHailStrong windHeat wavesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 92% of Kivalina’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.6%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). 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.

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 Kivalina flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kivalina. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

Kivalina isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Northwest Arctic Borough.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kivalina

Disasters that paid out in Kivalina itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Kivalina), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong22 households applied for aid$394K aid approved
  2. 2004Severe Winter Storm, Tidal Surges and Flooding$115K to the City of Kivalina for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in KivalinaNorthwest Arctic Borough only

Northwest Arctic Borough has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Were you here?

Old photos of Kivalina after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Kivalina archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Kivalina faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Kivalina

Is Kivalina 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 Northwest Arctic Borough, 1.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Kivalina?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kivalina’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 Kivalina?

By FEMA money that reached Kivalina, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong (2025): 22 households applied for aid, $394K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kivalina.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kivalina’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.