Greenwell Store · Photo: W Nowicki · CC BY 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Kealakekua faces more hazard damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, led by earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kealakekua gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (43%), then river and rain flooding (36%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2015.
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 Kealakekua faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
Volcanic 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.
What’s behind Kealakekua’s grade
Earthquakes are 43% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kealakekua, and Kealakekua’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts. Volcanic activity adds 18%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Kealakekua’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.9M a year in losses across Kealakekua: $2.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Kealakekua flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 2015
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Kealakekua, from FEMA’s records: 9.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The 2026-03-KonaStorm5 claims · $144K
Kealakekua isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hawaii County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kealakekua
Disasters that paid out in Kealakekua itself (aid to households or repair grants to Kealakekua), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2026Earthquake33 households applied for aid$219K aid approved
- 2026Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides18 households applied for aid$124K aid approved
- 2006Earthquake77 households applied for aid$212K aid approved
Hawaii County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.
Also 11 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Hawaii County, 2000–2026.
Old photos of Kealakekua after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kealakekua archive →Kealakekua and its neighbors
Kealakekua is 2nd of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahaluu-Keauhou | D−more damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Kealakekua | D−more damage than 98% | earthquakes | 6 |
| Honalo | D−more damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Captain Cook | D−among the highest damage | river 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.
Get ready for what Kealakekua 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.
- 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.
- Keep N95 masks and goggles for ash.
- Know the evacuation routes.
- Keep ash out of the house and car vents.
- 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 Kealakekua
Is Kealakekua at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kealakekua has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (43%) and river and rain flooding (36%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Kealakekua flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Kealakekua since 2015, $150K in all, or 9.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from 2026-03-KonaStorm (5).
Is Kealakekua 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 Hawaii County, 1.8% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Kealakekua?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kealakekua’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 Kealakekua?
By FEMA money that reached Kealakekua, Earthquake (2026): 33 households applied for aid, $219K approved. By flood claims, 2026-03-KonaStorm: 5 paid, $144K.
Is Kealakekua at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (43%), and Kealakekua’s rate for it is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kealakekua.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kealakekua’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.