Kauai County, Hawaii: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kauai County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.4 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 3,693 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.8 | $1.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.4 | $166K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.1 | $2.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.6 | $48M |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | 75.4 | $8.6M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 64.9 | $395K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 49.8 | $140K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 42.8 | $210K |
| Drought | Very Low | 26.4 | $18K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 2.4 | $5K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.4 | $6K |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Hail | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Volcanic Activity | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip currents and high surf | 2,719 | 22 | $758K | 1st of 4 | 1st of 2,080 |
| Heavy rain | 306 | 0 | $28M | 2nd of 4 | 2nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 211 | 10 | $103M | 2nd of 4 | 87th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 208 | 2 | $10M | 2nd of 4 | 152nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 161 | 0 | $181K | 1st of 4 | 95th of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 28 | 0 | $1.3M | 3rd of 4 | 32nd of 2,972 |
| Winter storms | 19 | 0 | – | 1st of 4 | 2596th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 11 | 0 | $312K | 1st of 4 | 2770th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 8 | 0 | $4.2M | 2nd of 4 | 80th of 2,278 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $2.3M | 2nd of 4 | 2435th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $12K | 3rd of 4 | 1266th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | – | 4th of 4 | 3002nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Kauai County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.