Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Waiahole-Waikane

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Molii FishpondMolii Fishpond · Photo: sshreeves · CC BY 2.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Waiahole-Waikane · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Waiahole-Waikane

Waiahole-Waikane isn’t graded for hazard risk: Waiahole-Waikane has 829 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1981.

Flood claims
21
paid since 1981 · $295K
Disasters paid out here
0
of 19 declared for Honolulu County
By hazard

What Waiahole-Waikane 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

68%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

Wildfire

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Coastal flooding Hurricanes Tornadoes Landslides top 3% Lightning Hail Strong wind
FEMA models no building damage here
Winter stormsIce stormsCold wavesHeat wavesAvalanchesVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts landslides at 13% of Waiahole-Waikane’s expected losses. Landslides do little damage to buildings (0.1%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Waiahole-Waikane flood? Sometimes: 21 flood claims since 1981

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Waiahole-Waikane, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1981: 1 claim1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 1 claim1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 5 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 1 claim2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 4 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 3 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 1 claim2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 1 claim2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 2 claims199120062011
19812026
Biggest named events
  • The 2026-03-KonaStorm1 claim · $2K
21
paid claims since 1981
$295K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$14K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Waiahole-Waikane 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

The storms Waiahole-Waikane remembers

None of the 19 disasters declared for Honolulu County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Waiahole-Waikane itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

  1. 19915 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
  2. 20064 flood claims paidThe year of Earthquake, declared for Honolulu County
  3. 20113 flood claims paidThe year of Tsunami Waves, declared for Honolulu County
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Waiahole-WaikaneHonolulu County only

Honolulu County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

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 Waiahole-Waikane after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Waiahole-Waikane archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Waiahole-Waikane 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 ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
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 Waiahole-Waikane

Does Waiahole-Waikane flood?

Flood insurance has paid 21 claims in Waiahole-Waikane since 1981, $295K in all. The most claims came from 2026-03-KonaStorm (1).

Is Waiahole-Waikane 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 Waiahole-Waikane?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Waiahole-Waikane’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 Waiahole-Waikane?

By flood claims, 2026-03-KonaStorm: 1 paid, $2K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Waiahole-Waikane.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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