The City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency recently conducted the O‘ahu Flood Risk Survey, and the results are in! One in three residents across the island reported having first- or second-hand experience with flooding. Everyone lives in a flood zone, and while some areas have lower or undetermined risk, there’s no such thing as a “no-risk” zone. We also heard repairs and recovery from flooding can be costly: the average cost for homeowners was around $30,000 while renters were more likely to pay $30,000 to $75,000 in losses. Nearly a quarter of respondents indicated the survey got them thinking about flood risk and flood insurance, and that residents need to know more about how to protect themselves from flood damage. Want to know more about your potential flood risk? Check out the Flood Hazard Assessment Tool.
The survey was open between February and March 2024, and a total of 1,046 residents across Oʻahu participated. The survey sought to better understand residents’ awareness of flood risk, knowledge of flood insurance, and experience with flooding events. Results will be used to inform enhanced City outreach and education to improve community flood awareness and resilience island-wide, including the benefits of flood insurance.
This project is supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Cooperating Technical Partnership program.
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