A fast-moving cold front brought strong winds to much of the Aloha State on the 14th. A significant number of trees and power lines were blown down, closing roads on Oahu and Kauai for several hours.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.
A fast-moving cold front brought strong winds to much of the Aloha State on the 14th. A significant number of trees and power lines were blown down, closing roads on Oahu and Kauai for several hours. Media reports indicated that over 100 homes on Oahu suffered roof damage. At least three homes on the Big Island of Hawaii and one on Maui also had roof damage. Power outages affected Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. Around 69,000 customers were without power on Oahu, several thousands on Maui and Kauai, and nearly 10,000 on the Big Island. Nine schools on Oahu closed early due to power failures and/or roof damage. One man was killed on Kauai while apparently camping. A portion of a tree blown down by high winds fell on his campsite and caused his death. No serious injuries were reported. The cost of damages across the state was not available.
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 Jan 14, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 AM HST WED JAN 14 2004
.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT JUST NORTHWEST OF KAUAI WILL ADVANCE ACROSS
THE ISLAND CHAIN BRINGING STRONG WINDS..ROUGH SURF..AND RAIN.
&&
.DISCUSSION...THE COLD FRONT JUST NORTHWEST OF KAUAI CONTINUES ITS
MARCH TOWARD THE ISLANDS. WINDS HAVE INCREASED QUITE A BIT OVER THE
NORTHERN ISLANDS IN THE PAST FEW HOURS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT IS
STRONG ENOUGH SUCH THAT THE HIGH WINDS WILL AFFECT KAUAI AND OAHU
THIS MORNING...AND THE UPPER LEVEL NEAR THE SUMMITS OF MAUI
AND THE BIG ISLAND LATER TODAY. THUS HAVE ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING
FOR THOSE TWO ISLANDS AS WELL AS THE SUMMITS OF MAUI AND BIG ISLAND.
IN FACT...BELIEVE THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WINDS TO WARRANT A WIND
ADVISORY FOR REST OF THE ISLANDS EXCEPT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE
BIG ISLAND TODAY. BELIEVE THERE IS EVEN ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A
THUNDERSTORM OR TWO TO POP UP IN KAUAI VICINITY. HAVE ADDED A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORM TO KAUAI ONLY. THE MAIN STORM THAT IS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTHEASTWARD...THUS THE
FRONT SHOULD WEAKEN QUITE A BIT AS IT REACHES MOLOKAI AND SOUTHWARD
LATER TODAY. THIS FRONT WILL ALSO BRING SOME RAIN TO THE
ISLANDS...THOUGH IT MOVES TOO QUICKLY AND THUS NOT FAVORABLE FOR
RAIN TO PERSIST TOO LONG OVER ANY PARTICULAR AREA. FORECAST CHARTS
SHOW RIDGE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST CLOSE TO THE ISLANDS BY
THURSDAY...WITH WINDS DECREASING DRAMATICALLY. THIS RIDGE WILL
REMAIN NEAR THE ISLANDS THROUGH SATURDAY KEEPING WINDS ON THE LIGHT
SIDE AND BRING MAINLY FAIR WEATHER. WINDS THEN ARE EXPECTED TO TURN
SOUTHERLY AGAIN SUNDAY AS ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES THE ISLANDS FROM
THE WEST. CURRENT FORECAST CHARTS NOW HAVE THE FRONT DISSIPATED
BEFORE REACHING THE ISLANDS...THOUGH AM NOT SURPRISED IF THE
SOLUTION GOES THE OTHER WAY IN THE FUTURE RUNS. SHALL ONLY MENTION A
TAD MORE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS FOR KAUAI MONDAY AT THIS TIME.
&&
.SURF...THE SURF IS STILL ON THE DECLINE...THOUGH THE NEXT BIG SWELL
IS EXPECTED TO REACH OAHU LATE WEDNESDAY. LATEST READING FROM
BUOY ONE INDICATES THAT THE BIG SWELL HAS NOT REACHED THERE YET.
SINCE THE EXPECTED SURF HEIGHTS MORE THAN HIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT A
WARNING TONIGHT...HAVE ISSUED THE WARNING FOR THE NORTH AND WEST
SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS EXCEPT THE BIG ISLAND AT THIS TIME. BELIEVE IT
MAY BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE BIG ISLAND LATER TODAY.
&&
.HNL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING......KAUAI OAHU AND SUMMITS OF MAUI AND BIG ISLAND
HIGH SURF WARNING...NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI
LANAI MAUI
WIND ADVISORY........MOLOKAI LANAI AND LOWER ELEVATIONS OF MAUI
HIGH SURF ADVISORY.....NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES BIG ISLAND
GALE WARNING...COASTAL WATERS NORTHWEST OF MOLOKAI AND ALL CHANNELS
EXCEPT ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...REST OF THE COASTAL WATERS AND ALENUIHAHA
CHANNEL.
&&
HUIThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Kauai | 2004-01-14 | Male | Camping | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 2004
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: 5432322, 5432323, 5432324, 5432325, 5432326.