Photo: Polihale at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Kekaha faces more hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kekaha gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #46 of 93 in Hawaii. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then tsunamis (38%). 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 Kekaha 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
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.
What’s behind Kekaha’s grade
River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kekaha, and Kekaha’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts. Tsunamis add 38%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #46 of 93 in Hawaii; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Kekaha’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Hawaii town has higher expected damage than 96% of U.S. towns; within the state, Kekaha has less expected damage per building than 51% of Hawaii towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.7M a year in losses across Kekaha: $3.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Kekaha flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kekaha. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Kekaha isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kauai County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Kekaha
Disasters that paid out in Kekaha itself (aid to households or repair grants to Kekaha), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides5 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
Kauai County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.
Old photos of Kekaha after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kekaha archive →Kekaha and its neighbors
Kekaha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waimea | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Kekaha | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 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 Kekaha 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.
- 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 Kekaha
Is Kekaha at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kekaha has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #46 of 93 in Hawaii. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and tsunamis (38%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Kekaha 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 Kauai County, 7.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Kekaha?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kekaha’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 Kekaha?
By FEMA money that reached Kekaha, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2006): 5 households applied for aid, $4K approved.
Is Kekaha at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Kekaha’s rate for it is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kekaha.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kekaha’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.