Hawaii, 1996

Lightning Strike in Hawaii, January 26, 1996

January 26, 1996 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning struck the Maui Space Surveillance Complex at the summit of Haleakala sparking an electrical fire in a power distribution panel. Three people were treated for smoke inhalation.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.

Lightning struck the Maui Space Surveillance Complex at the summit of Haleakala sparking an electrical fire in a power distribution panel. Three people were treated for smoke inhalation.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Maui

When
January 26, 1:15 AM HST
Where
Maui County, Haleakala
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
20.868, -156.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5544287.