Hawaii, 2004

High Wind in Hawaii, February 27 to 28, 2004

February 27 to 28, 2004 · NWS HFO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Strong south winds ahead of a cold front, gusting to or slightly above 58 mph, downed power lines and trees from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii over the 27th and into the 28th of February. There were also reports that some roofs on homes and businesses were destroyed or significantly damaged by the blustery winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

Strong south winds ahead of a cold front, gusting to or slightly above 58 mph, downed power lines and trees from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii over the 27th and into the 28th of February. There were also reports that some roofs on homes and businesses were destroyed or significantly damaged by the blustery winds. Cost of damages was not available, however. No serious injuries were reported.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST FRI FEB 27 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG WINDS...HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NOW AFFECTING KAUAI
AND OAHU WILL SPREAD TO MAUI COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND TO THE BIG
ISLAND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT...STILL WEST OF KAUAI THIS MORNING...
WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH SATURDAY. COOL...
UNSTABLE AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL KEEP ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ISLANDS SATURDAY...BUT
MORE SUNSHINE ALONG WITH LIGHT WINDS WILL MAKE FOR A BETTER SUNDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT STILL WEST OF KAUAI IS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT
20 MPH. THE FRONT HAS HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN BANDS TO
ITS EAST. THESE BANDS DROPPED AS MUCH AS 9 INCHES OF RAINFALL ON THE
ISLAND OF KAUAI OVERNIGHT...AND ARE EXPECTED TO BRING 2 TO 6 INCHES
OF RAINFALL TO OAHU TODAY AS THEY MOVE THROUGH. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL
MOVE OVER MAUI COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON...REACHING THE BIG ISLAND OF
HAWAII TONIGHT. THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED HEAVY RAIN BANDS ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NOW NORTH OF THE
STATE. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36
HOURS...AS THE UPPER LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM DOES A LOOP
NORTH OF THE STATE...THEN MOVE OFF TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHEAST. THE
UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE INSTABILITY OVER THE ISLANDS ON SATURDAY...
BUT MORE STABLE CONDITIONS WILL REPLACE THE WET WEATHER BEGINNING ON
SUNDAY AS THE SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL LOWS MOVE NORTH NORTHEAST AND
AWAY FROM THE STATE.

&&

.MARINE...
A NORTHWEST SWELL GENERATED BY A LARGE LOW NEAR THE KAMCHATKA
PENINSULA WILL RESULT IN RISING SURF TO WARNING LEVELS TODAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING TODAY KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...LANAI AND MAUI
FLOOD WATCH TODAY KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...LANAI AND MAUI
HIGH WIND WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY BIG ISLAND SUMMITS
HIGH SURF WARNING NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI...OAHU...
MOLOKAI AND MAUI
HIGH SURF ADVISORY WEST FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

FARRELL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Maui

When
February 27, 11:30 AM HST to February 28, 8:30 PM HST
Where
Maui forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, North and East Hawaii

When
February 27, 11:30 AM HST to February 28, 8:30 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Oahu

When
February 27, 11:30 AM HST to February 28, 8:30 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, South Hawaii

When
February 27, 11:30 AM HST to February 28, 8:30 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, West Hawaii

When
February 27, 11:30 AM HST to February 28, 8:30 PM HST
Where
West Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 2004

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: 5431069, 5431070, 5431071, 5431072, 5431073.