Sheldon Jackson School · Photo: Jet Lowe · Public domainFEMA puts Sitka’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 74% of U.S. towns, led by tsunamis
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sitka gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns, #10 of 41 in Alaska. Most of that expected damage is tsunamis (48%), then earthquakes (39%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2009.
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 Sitka faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Tsunamis
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
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.
What’s behind Sitka’s grade
Tsunamis are 48% of the building damage FEMA expects in Sitka, and Sitka’s rate of tsunamis damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Landslides add 2%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
C #10 of 41 in Alaska; higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Sitka’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, Sitka has less expected damage per building than 78% of Alaska towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $7.3M a year in losses across Sitka: $4.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Sitka flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2009
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sitka, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Sitka isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: the county.Sitka and its neighbors
Sitka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitka | Cmore damage than 74% | tsunamis | 1 |
| Port Alexander | — | 50 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 Sitka faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- 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 Sitka
Is Sitka at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sitka has higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk, #10 of 41 in Alaska. Most of the expected damage is tsunamis (48%) and earthquakes (39%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Sitka flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Sitka since 2009, $20K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Sitka 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 the county, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Sitka?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sitka’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Sitka at risk from tsunamis?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (48%), and Sitka’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sitka.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sitka’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.