A strong pressure gradient became established across the islands as a high built far north of the state. Northeast and east trade winds pummeled the area, and they led to damages in several locales from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 strong pressure gradient became established across the islands as a high built far north of the state. Northeast and east trade winds pummeled the area, and they led to damages in several locales from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious injuries were reported, however.
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 16, 9:37 AM HST, 4 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 937 AM HST SAT FEB 16 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A TRADE WIND WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL KEEP DEVELOPING OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS TODAY... WITH THE STRONG TRADES PUSHING SOME OF THE SHOWERS INTO LEEWARD AREAS AT TIMES. SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY EARLY NEXT WEEK...MOST NOTICEABLY FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE ISLAND CHAIN. && .DISCUSSION... A WET TRADE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES TODAY WITH PREVAILING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS LIKELY OVER WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS TO THE N OF THE ISLANDS. SOME OF THE SHOWERS WILL BE PUSHED INTO LEEWARD LOCATIONS BY THE ROBUST TRADES...INCLUDING WAIKIKI AND THE OAHU METRO AREA. MEANWHILE...THE 1034 MB HIGH NORTH THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WILL BRING PERIODS OF WIND ADVISORY CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE EAST END OF THE ISLAND CHAIN...MAINLY WIND GUSTS REACHING THE 50 MPH RANGE. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH 6 PM HST THIS EVENING COVERING MUCH OF MAUI COUNTY...EXCEPT MOLOKAI...AND DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE BIG ISLAND. THE HIGH WILL GET EVEN STRONGER EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND EVEN STRONGER TRADES LIKELY BY MID WEEK. ADDITIONAL WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE REQUIRED. AN UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE ISLAND CHAIN WILL WEAKEN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND SHIFT NORTHWARD...WHILE A RATHER UNSTABLE AIR MASS REMAINS EAST OF THE ISLANDS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR TRADE INDUCED SHOWERS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WITH RAINFALL STILL FAVORING WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...AND ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS REACHING LEEWARD AREAS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS AT TIMES. MODELS ALSO SHOW AN UPPER LVL TROUGH MOVING NORTH OF THE AREA DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK AND POSSIBLY ENHANCING THE SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS...ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN HALF OF THE ALOHA STATE. && .MARINE... A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY /SCA/ REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL HAWAIIAN COASTAL WATERS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF STRONG TRADE WINDS... INCREASED SHORT-PERIOD SEAS AND LONG-PERIOD NORTHWEST SWELL. WIND DRIVEN WAVES ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK NEAR 15 FEET ON SUNDAY AND REMAIN ELEVATED WHILE SLOWLY DIMINISHING THROUGH THE WEEK...AND THE SCA HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY. A GALE WARNING WILL GO INTO EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE WINDIER ZONES AROUND MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND...AND WILL REMAIN POSTED INTO WEDNESDAY AS WELL. THE CURRENT NORTHWEST SWELL HAS PEAKED...AND IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. A LARGER AND LONGER PERIOD NORTHWEST SWELL WILL BUILD TONIGHT...PEAK ON SUNDAY AT HIGH END ADVISORY LEVELS... THEN LOWER SLOWLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE EXISTING HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR EXPOSED NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 6 PM MONDAY TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS NEW SWELL. THE STRONG TRADE WINDS HAVE GENERATED ROUGH AND CHOPPY SURF ALONG EAST FACING SHORES...AND A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION... AIRMET TANGO IS IN EFFECT FOR TEMPO MODERATE ISOL SEVERE LOW LEVEL TURBULENCE LEEWARD OF ALL ISLANDS DUE TO STRONG TRADE WINDS. AIRMET TANGO ALSO COVERS SFC WIND SPEEDS 30 KT. STRONG WINDS AND MECHANICAL TURB WILL LIKELY PERSIST THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY. WINDWARD SLOPES OF MAUI AND BIG ISLAND OF MAUI ISOL MVFR CIGS AND BRIEF MTN OBSC THROUGH THE DAY. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI LEEWARD-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE-MOLOKAI LEEWARD-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR KAUAI WINDWARD- OAHU KOOLAU-OLOMANA-MOLOKAI WINDWARD-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-WINDWARD HALEAKALA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND-BIG ISLAND NORTH AND EAST. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR LANAI-KAHOOLAWE- MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD HALEAKALA-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND-BIG ISLAND NORTH AND EAST-KOHALA-BIG ISLAND INTERIOR. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM HST MONDAY FOR KONA-KOHALA. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR MAALAEA BAY- PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS. GALE WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS- KAUAI CHANNEL-OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-MAUI COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS-MAUI COUNTY LEEWARD WATERS- BIG ISLAND WINDWARD WATERS. && SYNOPSIS/DISCUSSION...REYNES MARINE...BIRCHARD AVIATION...FOSTER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 strong wind, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Old Mamalahoa Highway closed due to a downed power line.
Downed tree blocking a portion of Likelike Highway near the Wilson Tunnel.
There were about 4300 customers without power because of wind-related damage.
Sand Island Access Road was closed due to a downed power pole.
Strong winds knocked down a power line and two 30-foot trees on Ala Moana Street in Lahaina.
According to Big Island civil defense, roofs were damaged in Kawaihae by strong winds. A video posted on a local news web site appeared to show a large-scale dust devil.
North Kuakini Street was closed between Lanakila Avenue and Alaneo Street because of a leaning utility pole.
Cleghorn Street was closed due to a leaning utility pole.
A downed light pole on Likelike Highway forced police to reroute traffic through the Kamehameha Shopping Center.
Portions of Round Top Drive were closed due to a tree falling on a power line.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 2013
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: 430044, 430045, 430046, 430047, 460737, 460738, 460739, 430049, 430051, 430053, 430055, 430059, 430061.