A surface trough just east of the island chain, in combination with high pressure north of the state, induced strong north winds across the area. Damages from the winds occurred on the Big Island and Oahu, with one individual injured on Oahu as well.
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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 surface trough just east of the island chain, in combination with high pressure north of the state, induced strong north winds across the area. Damages from the winds occurred on the Big Island and Oahu, with one individual injured on Oahu as well.
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 28, 11:37 AM HST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Honolulu HI 1137 AM HST Mon Jan 28 2019 .UPDATE... Observations from Kona International Airport indicate that strong winds have developed along the Kona coast, mainly around Keahole Point. The Wind Advisory has been expanded to cover this area. && .SYNOPSIS... A cool, dry, and gusty north-northeasterly flow will persist today, thanks to a surface low centered several hundred miles northeast of the state. The low will weaken and drift closer to the islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading to an increase in showers, mainly windward. Winds will gradually turn out of a more typical trade wind direction on Thursday and Friday, with showers possibly remaining active along windward slopes. && .PREV DISCUSSION.../ISSUED 1007 AM HST Mon Jan 28 2019/ A cool, dry and gusty north-northeasterly flow will remain in place through at least tonight. The islands are being influenced by deep low pressure centered several hundred miles northeast of the state and a surface ridge several hundred miles to the northwest. The result is the breezy to locally windy north- northeast flow that has been in place for the past couple of days. A shortwave aloft that passed over yesterday produced a few heavy showers along the windward coast of the Big Island during the evening, but otherwise rainfall has been, and will remain, scant in the rather dry airmass. Dew points in this airmass are exceptionally low by Hawaii standards, down into the upper 40s to mid 50s. Even though high temperatures have been struggling to reach 80 in most locations, this is only a couple of degrees below normal for late January. It is these exceptionally low dew points combined with the gusty winds that have produced cool feel to the air. This will persist through tonight. The gusty north-northeast flow is producing advisory level winds over and downwind of terrain for portions of the Big Island, Lanai, and Kahoolawe. Expect these conditions to persist through tonight, and a possible expansion to the Kona coast of the Big Island will have to be monitored closely. In addition, strong winds have prompted a High Wind Warning over the high summits of the Big Island. Similar conditions are expected through Tuesday morning, followed by increased shower chances later in the day through Wednesday. The surface low helping to drive the cool north-northeast flow will weaken and drift closer to the state during this time. Increased moisture near the low will spread over the islands, fueling showers across windward and north facing terrain and driving dew points closer to normal. Northerly winds will remain elevated through Tuesday morning, but as the low edges closer to the islands, the pressure gradient will relax, allowing winds to ease slightly for the Big Island and Maui. Thus, the Wind Advisory may persist into the day on Tuesday, and the elevated winds across the high summits of the Big Island may persist into Wednesday. A gradual return to trade winds is expected on Thursday and Friday. The GFS and ECMWF models show the broad area of low pressure east of the state slowly filling, which will allow high pressure to the north of the islands to exert greater influence. As a result, expect breezy northeast winds to shift more easterly by late Friday. Shallow moisture along the northern flank of the low should ride in on the trades, keeping windward rainfall somewhat active. Ridging aloft should lead to stable conditions. && .AVIATION... A surface low just to the northeast of Hawaii will slowly approach the Big Island and be just to the east of Hilo Tuesday morning and through the day tomorrow. There is a lot of dry air in place but this low will bring some moisture to the windward side all along the Hamakua Coast down to Hilo. As it pushes south into Wednesday, it will continue to bring rain showers for the windward side extending up to Maui County and possibly Molokai. Although unlikely, there may be isolated MVFR conditions for ceilings and/or visibility. Outside of the possibility for some rain from this low, the rest of the state will have VFR conditions. A high to the north of Hawaii will remain relatively stationary for the next few days and the low will slowly move south but linger for a few days. This scenario will produce a tight pressure gradient over the islands which means locally windy conditions for the day or so. This has been, and will continue to produce moderate turbulence below 9,000 ft in areas south of the mountains. AIRMET Tango is in effect as a result. With the jetstream over the islands we will see light to moderate turbulence with occasional severe turbulence possible between FL200 and FL400. It should remain that way through the period. && .MARINE... Strong winds in combination with a series of northwest swells will produce Small Craft Advisory (SCA) conditions for most marine zones through much of the work week. Moderate trade winds may return by the end of the work week or during the upcoming weekend. A series of moderate to large northwest swells will move through the islands this week. This swell will continue to fill in this morning, peak around the High Surf Advisory (HSA) level across north and west facing shores of Niihau and Kauai this afternoon and tonight, then lower on Tuesday. The second northwest swell is expected to build Tuesday night and Wednesday, then peak close to warning levels late Wednesday night and Thursday. This swell will then slowly lower through the end of the work week. Another northwest swell may bring advisory level surf to north and west facing shores over the upcoming weekend. A north to northeast swell generated by a gale low northeast of the state will produce rising surf along exposed shores over the next couple of days. Choppy seas and surf will result along windward waters and coasts, with surf peaking above the HSA threshold for east- facing shores tonight through Wednesday, then slowly decline through the rest of the week. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Surf Advisory from noon today to 6 AM HST Tuesday for north and west facing shores of Niihau and Kauai. Wind Advisory until 6 AM HST Tuesday for Kona, South Big Island, Big Island North and East, Lanai, and Kahoolawe. High Wind Warning until 6 AM HST Tuesday for Big Island Summits. Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for all Hawaiian waters. && DISCUSSION...Wroe AVIATION...Chevalier MARINE...Brenchley
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The tin roof of a building was blown off at the Kona Airport in the leeward part of the Big Island.
Six trees were downed near Hilo in the windward part of the Big Island.
On Oahu, a house lost its roof at the corner of Kilauea and Ahuawa Loop in Kahala due to strong winds. An 89-year-old man was injured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 2019
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: 796224, 796225, 796226.