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Ewa AerialPhoto: Travis.Thurston · CC BY-SA 3.0
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Ewa Beach · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Ewa Beach, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ewa Beach gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #68 of 93 in Hawaii. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then tsunamis (21%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2020.

River and rain flooding 72%Tsunamis 21%Earthquakes 6%

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

among the highestof U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#68 of 93 in Hawaii
Hazard risk
D−#68 of 93
in Hawaii · among the highest of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
72% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2
paid since 2020 · $112K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 18 declared for Honolulu County
By hazard

What Ewa Beach 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

72%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Tornadoes Coastal flooding Hurricanes Hail Strong wind Ice storms Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Winter stormsCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesAvalanchesVolcanic activity

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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Ewa Beach’s grade

River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ewa Beach, and Ewa Beach’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Tsunamis add 21%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Ewa Beach sits
Ewa Beach
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− #68 of 93 in Hawaii; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).

Ewa Beach’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding72%Tsunamis21%Earthquakes6%

The typical Hawaii town has higher expected damage than 96% of U.S. towns; within the state, Ewa Beach has more expected damage per building than 73% of Hawaii towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $7.9M a year in losses across Ewa Beach: $7.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Ewa Beach covers 3 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Ewa Beach flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2020

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ewa Beach, from FEMA’s records: 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2020: 1 claim2021: 1 claim2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20202021
20202026
2
paid claims since 2020
$112K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$56K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Honolulu County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ewa Beach

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

  1. 2026Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides29 households applied for aid$62K aid approved
  2. 2023Wildfires and High Winds2 households applied for aid$700 aid approved
  3. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding18 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
  4. 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides3 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Ewa BeachHonolulu County only

Honolulu County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Also 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Honolulu County, 2005–2025.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Ewa Beach archive →
Next door

Ewa Beach and its neighbors

Ewa Beach is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Ocean Pointe: hazard risk D−Iroquois Point: hazard risk D−Ocean PointeIroquois PointEwa Beach
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Iroquois PointD−among the highest damageriver and rain flooding—
Ewa BeachD−among the highest damageriver and rain flooding2
Ocean PointeD−among the highest damageriver and rain flooding—

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Ewa Beach 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 ↗
Tsunamis
  • 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.
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 ↗
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 Ewa Beach

Is Ewa Beach at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ewa Beach has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #68 of 93 in Hawaii. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and tsunamis (21%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Ewa Beach flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Ewa Beach since 2020, $112K in all, or 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Ewa Beach 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 Honolulu County, 54% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 4.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Ewa Beach?

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

By FEMA money that reached Ewa Beach, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2026): 29 households applied for aid, $62K approved.

Is Ewa Beach at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Ewa Beach’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ewa Beach.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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