3,069 flood insurance claims·$69.9M paid·6 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Honolulu County, Hawaii. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding and general flooding dominate the flood character of Honolulu County, supported by 140 flash flood events and 85 flood events recorded over the last 30 years compared to only 2 hurricanes and 1 storm surge event. Recent incidents illustrate this pattern, including a strong low-pressure system in January 2025 that produced intense rain bands with 2- to 4-inch per hour rain rates, causing severe flooding in the Kuli'ou'ou and Hawai'i Kai areas on O'ahu. Additionally, a cold front in December 2025 brought localized flooding impacts to Oahu and Kauai driven by heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms.
NFIP insurance claims data demonstrates that flood risks extend across multiple zones, requiring specific attention from homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists. Zone A recorded the highest impact with 1,709 claims averaging a $41,780 payout and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X recorded 529 claims with an average payout of $33,188 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches, and Zone V recorded 298 claims with an average payout of $26,033 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Properties in both designated high-risk flood zones and moderate-to-low risk zones experienced significant water depths and financial losses, indicating that owners in all mapped and unshaded zones should carefully evaluate their flood exposure.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
10% of Honolulu County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
2,218 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 7 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2026, with 273 claims and $12.3M paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
35 NOAA storm reports from Honolulu County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Hawaii flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1974, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Kunia Road Fire | Aug 19, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Dec 5, 2021 |
| Hurricane Douglas | Jul 23, 2020 |
| Tropical Storm Olivia | Sep 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Lane | Aug 22, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Apr 13, 2018 |
| Tsunami Waves | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 10, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
228 since 1996: 140 flash floods, 85 river or area floods and 1 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jan 30, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Jan 30, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Dec 14, 2025 | — |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Dec 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 17, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jan 30, 2025. A strong low that passed a few hundred miles north of the state produced gale force winds and heavy rainfall over all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The worst flooding affected O'ahu during the daylight hours of January 30 and southwest Maui that night. The Kuli'ou'ou and Hawai'i Kai areas appeared to have the worst flooding on O'ahu due to the passage of an intense rain band with 2- to 4-inch per hour rain rates.…
Flood · Jan 30, 2025. A strong low that passed a few hundred miles north of the state produced gale force winds and heavy rainfall over all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The worst flooding affected O'ahu during the daylight hours of January 30 and southwest Maui that night. The Kuli'ou'ou and Hawai'i Kai areas appeared to have the worst flooding on O'ahu due to the passage of an intense rain band with 2- to 4-inch per hour rain rates.…
Flood · Mar 17, 2025. An upper level trough and a surface low pressure system to the west caused localized flooding on Oahu.
Flood · Dec 14, 2025. A cold front with robust upper level support brought localized flooding impacts to Kauai and Oahu. Moderate southerly winds pushed moist air with precipitable water values in excess of 1.8 inches over the islands, contributing to periods of heavy rainfall. Instability aloft from a broad mid and upper level trough allowed for isolated thunderstorms.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Honolulu County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.