Honolulu County, HI
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Honolulu County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1974, most recently Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Honolulu County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, landslide, and inland flooding, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 19% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Honolulu County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1974, covering 8 disaster types including flood (6), fire (4), severe storm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2025 | Fire | Kunia Road Fire |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Douglas |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Olivia |
| 2018 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2018 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lane |
| 2011 | Tsunami | Tsunami Waves |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 total declarations since 1974.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very High | 99.3 | 68 | 0 | $1.0B |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 75.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.6 | 6 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 33.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 73.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 10.9 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 7.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 61.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 100 | 2 | 0 | $70K |
| Drought | Very Low | 13.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.6 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Relatively High | 92.3 | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Honolulu County ranks in the 57th percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 57th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 23rd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 26th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 99th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 96th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 98th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 99th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 8.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 68 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 31 in 2016–20 vs 37 in 2021–25 (+19% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Honolulu County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Honolulu County, Hawaii are lightning, landslide, and inland flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Honolulu County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Honolulu County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1974, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Honolulu County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Honolulu County include Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2026), Kunia Road Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1974.
How does Honolulu County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Hawaii County, HI has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Kalawao County, HI has the lowest (Very Low). Honolulu County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Honolulu County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Honolulu County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Honolulu County's composite score of 99 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 99% of US counties.