Tornado and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, February 10 to 12, 2009

Name: Tornado and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, February 10 to 12, 2009
Start: 2009-02-10T13:54
End: 2009-02-12T11:59
Location: Hawaii

February 10 to 12, 2009 · NWS HFO · 10 events in 3 counties and zones

Trade winds died and convective weather developed across the island chain. This resulted in heavy showers and thunderstorms forming over Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Maui.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

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.

Trade winds died and convective weather developed across the island chain. This resulted in heavy showers and thunderstorms forming over Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Maui.

Especially strong sea breeze conditions in southwest Oahu produced a tornado in the afternoon of February 11th. One man suffered minor injuries at the Kapolei Golf Course, and there was damage to a roof and golf cart. No damage estimate was available.

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 10, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST TUE FEB 10 2009

CORRECTED TO REMOVE PREVIOUS UPDATE SECTION

.SYNOPSIS...
A LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH TONIGHT AS A WEAK TROUGH SLOWLY PASSES TO THE NORTH. TRADES
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AND BECOME QUITE STRONG DURING THE SECOND
HALF OF THE WORK WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE
TO OUR NORTH STRENGTHENS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
DESPITE WEAKENING...AND THE PRESENCE OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE...THE
SURFACE AND LOW LEVEL TROUGH REMAINS A CONTROLLING WEATHER FEATURE
OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE GFS GRADUALLY LIFTS THE TROUGH
TO THE NORTH AS IT CONTINUES TO WEAKEN...WITH A SURFACE RIDGE
BUILDING IN BEHIND THE TROUGH. THE 500 MB TEMPERATURE AT HILO
OVERNIGHT WAS -15 CELSIUS...WHILE THE LIHUE SOUNDING SHOWED A WARM
UP TO -11 CELSIUS. THE MID LEVELS ARE COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT
DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION...AND THAT HAS BEEN NOTED OVER THE WATERS
MAINLY SOUTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS. WITH THE COLD TEMPERATURES OVER THE
BIG ISLAND AND CLEAR SKIES TO START THE DAY...IT REMAINS POSSIBLE
THAT A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO COULD DEVELOP OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE
ISLAND LATER TODAY. IF THIS DOES HAPPEN...THE CHANCE REMAINS FOR
SNOW ACCUMULATION ON THE SUMMITS OF THE BIG ISLAND...THUS THE WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN PLACE FOR THIS AFTERNOON. THE WEAK
SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS TODAY WILL ALLOW FOR SHOWERS TO DEVELOP OVER THE
INTERIORS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS THIS AFTERNOON.

THE SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS SHOULD BRING
A RETURN TO LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADE WINDS TOMORROW...WITH AN
INCREASE IN SPEEDS EXPECTED AS WE HEAD INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
THIS IS DUE TO ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PUSHING TOWARDS THE
ISLANDS...INCREASING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE ISLANDS. THIS
TROUGH WILL ALSO BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF INSTABILITY TO THE ISLANDS.
THE GFS INDICATES SOME LEFTOVER FRONTAL MOISTURE RIDING IN ON THE
STRONGER TRADES AT THE END OF THE WEEK...WITH SOME OF THOSE SHOWERS
MAKING IT OVER TO LEEWARD PORTIONS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS. THE
STRONGER TRADE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO LINGER THROUGH THE FIRST HALF
OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...
STRONG TRADE WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA TOWARDS THE END OF THE
WEEK WILL BRING LARGE SWELL AND ROUGH SURF...POTENTIALLY WELL ABOVE
THE 8-FOOT ADVISORY LEVEL...TO EAST-FACING SHORES. WINDS MAY REACH
GALE FORCE IN THE WINDIER AREAS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS FROM NOON UNTIL 6
PM TODAY.
&&

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy rain, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: February 10, 1:54 PM HST to 3:35 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 1.01 mi SSE of Wheeler Afb to 0.61 mi N of Kalihi
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.467, -158.023

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: February 10, 4:01 PM HST to 9:39 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 1.92 mi ENE of Kamuela to 2.41 mi ESE of Honaunau National Pk
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.037, -155.641

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: February 11, 1:05 PM HST to 2:07 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 1.09 mi ESE of Wheeler Afb to 1.46 mi E of Makakilo City
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.476, -158.014

Tornado, Honolulu

When: February 11, 1:05 PM HST to 1:13 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 1.71 mi NE of Barbers Pt Housing to 2.03 mi NNE of Barbers Pt Housing
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.36 mi
Path width: 15 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 21.340, -158.064

A weak tornado touched down near the Kapolei Golf Course, and damaged a golf cart and roof. One man in his 30's, an employee of the course, was injured while he was helping another person escape the strong winds.

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: February 11, 2:35 PM HST to 3:29 PM HST
Where: Maui County, 1.05 mi W of Kaupakulua to 1.82 mi N of Keokea
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.880, -156.316

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: February 11, 3:03 PM HST to 5:27 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 1.65 mi ENE of Kamuela to 5.73 mi SSW of Kona Village Resort
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.043, -155.649

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: February 11, 3:59 PM HST to 5:28 PM HST
Where: Maui County, 0.14 mi E of Haliimaile to 2.4 mi NNW of I Kihei
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.870, -156.328

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: February 11, 4:59 PM HST to 5:47 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 0.64 mi NNE of Pearl City to 0.07 mi E of Aliamanu
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.408, -157.975

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: February 12, 12:22 AM HST to 5:25 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 2.43 mi WNW of Waianapanapa Sp to 3.72 mi NNW of Nuu
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.799, -156.032

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: February 12, 7:07 AM HST to 11:59 AM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 2.09 mi SSE of Kahuku to 0.82 mi S of Kaaawa
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.654, -157.934

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Hawaii, 2009 Warnings in Hawaii, February 2009

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: 149417, 149418, 149419, 149420, 149422, 149424, 149425, 149426, 149428, 149436.