Photo: Andwhatsnext at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Kapalua
Kapalua isn’t graded for hazard risk: Kapalua has 469 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1993.
What Kapalua 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
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. 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.
Does Kapalua flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1993
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Kapalua, from FEMA’s records.
Kapalua isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Maui County.The storms Kapalua remembers
None of the 19 disasters declared for Maui County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Kapalua itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19934 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19951 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20111 flood claims paidThe year of Tsunami Waves, declared for Maui County
Maui County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.
Also 9 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Maui County, 2006–2025.
Old photos of Kapalua after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kapalua archive →Kapalua and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napili-Honokowai | Dmore damage than 92% | tsunamis | — |
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 Kapalua faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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 Kapalua
Does Kapalua flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Kapalua since 1993, $184K in all.
Is Kapalua 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 Maui County, 4.8% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Kapalua?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kapalua’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kapalua.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kapalua’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.