Photo: James Brooks · CC BY 2.0On FEMA’s figures, Kodiak faces more hazard damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kodiak gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, #25 of 41 in Alaska. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (56%), then tsunamis (41%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Kodiak 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 Kodiak’s grade
Earthquakes are 56% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kodiak, and Kodiak’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Tsunamis add 41%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D #25 of 41 in Alaska; higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Kodiak’s residents live in 3 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, Kodiak has more expected damage per building than 60% of Alaska towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $9.0M a year in losses across Kodiak: $7.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Kodiak flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kodiak. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Kodiak
Disasters that paid out in Kodiak itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Kodiak), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2002Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Tidal Surge27 households applied for aid$17K aid approved$3K to the City of Kodiak for repairs
Kodiak Island Borough has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Kodiak after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kodiak archive →Kodiak and its neighbors
Kodiak 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Bay | Dmore damage than 91% | earthquakes | — |
| Kodiak | Dmore damage than 95% | earthquakes | 0 |
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 Kodiak 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 Kodiak
Is Kodiak at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kodiak has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #25 of 41 in Alaska. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (56%) and tsunamis (41%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Kodiak 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.
How much is flood insurance in Kodiak?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kodiak’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 Kodiak?
By FEMA money that reached Kodiak, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Tidal Surge (2002): 27 households applied for aid, $17K approved, and $3K to the City of Kodiak for repairs.
Is Kodiak at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (56%), and Kodiak’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kodiak.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kodiak’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.