Storm Records: Hawaii
Every storm the National Weather Service has filed in Hawaii: its floods, heat, cold, winter storms, hail, wind, lightning and tornadoes, year by year and county by county, each episode with its narrative.
The worst in Hawaii on the map
The deadliest and costliest episodes on record here, colored by kind of event.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 15,419
- Deaths
- 178
- Injuries
- 200
- Damage
- $7.0 billion
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.
Every year
Tap a year for every episode in it.
Deaths each year
By kind of event
| Kind of event | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Surf | 9,299 | 45 | 73 | $1.2 million |
| Heavy Rain | 2,157 | 6 | 2 | $15 million |
| Drought | 1,685 | 0 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| Flash Flood | 570 | 17 | 17 | $1.4 billion |
| High Wind | 471 | 1 | 8 | $6.7 million |
| Flood | 294 | 1 | 7 | $5.5 million |
| Wildfire | 283 | 103 | 47 | $5.6 billion |
| Strong Wind | 207 | 4 | 34 | $1.4 million |
| Volcanic Ashfall | 72 | 0 | 0 | |
| Funnel Cloud | 64 | 0 | 0 | |
| Winter Storm | 43 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tornado | 42 | 0 | 6 | $3.9 million |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 39 | 1 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| Lightning | 36 | 0 | 5 | $1.2 million |
| Waterspout | 31 | 0 | 0 | |
| Winter Weather | 28 | 0 | 0 | |
| Debris Flow | 25 | 0 | 0 | $3.9 million |
| Hail | 22 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tropical Storm | 13 | 0 | 0 | $10,000 |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| Heavy Snow | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dust Devil | 7 | 0 | 1 | $20,000 |
| Blizzard | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dense Fog | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tsunami | 2 | 0 | 0 | $14 million |
| Coastal Flood | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The deadliest
- Wildfire in Hawaii, August 8 to 16, 2023On August 8, several wildfires ignited over Maui and the Big Island. Very strong trade winds, low relative humidity, and ongoing drought conditions across leeward sections led to rapid fire growth and spread.
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, March 13 to 14, 2006Flash flooding initially occurred over northern and eastern parts of Kauai along Kuhio Highway, as heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms forced the Hanalei River over its banks near the Hanalei Bridge.A much more serious event occurred hours later, at about 0545 HST on the…
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 30 to 31, 1997Several low pressure centers moving across the north central Pacific generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet with occasional sets to 15 feet along the north and west facing shores of the islands.
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 11 to 16, 2019A swell from a powerful low far northwest of the Aloha State caused surf of 20 to 35 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai;…
- High Surf in Hawaii, October 12 to 14, 2008A deep low far north of the area generated surf of 12 to 18 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai. Three individuals died as a direct result from the high surf.
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, April 10, 2003A 6-foot wall of water moving down Palikea Stream in Haleakala National Park, in the southeast part of East Maui, swept a Kentucky man and his daughter over a 184-foot precipice at Makahiku Falls. Heavy showers falling at the higher elevations of Mt.
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, November 26 to 27, 2009An upper trough moving over the islands from the northwest spawned heavy rain and flash flooding conditions. A married couple from Hana, Maui, were apparently swept away by swollen stream waters on Thanksgiving night as they tried to make their way back to their home.
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 17 to 22, 2013A swell from a powerful low far northwest of the islands generated surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10…
- High Surf in Hawaii, July 25 to 28, 2015A swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 8 to 15 feet along the south-facing shores of all the islands. With the unusually high surf, lifeguards made 3000 preventive actions and 39 rescues on south and west shores just on Oahu alone.
- High Surf in Hawaii, July 16 to 21, 2016A northeast swell caused by former Hurricane Celia generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Hawaii, February 15 to 19, 2018With a weakening front over the islands and an upper low northwest of Kauai, heavy showers and thunderstorms developed over the state. Drenching rain led to periods of flash flooding over several isles, and gusty winds downed trees and power lines.
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, February 26 to 28, 2021Gusty trade winds helped keep showers moving as an upper trough induced downpours from the Big Island to Oahu. The precipitation caused ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, August 27 to 28, 2018More heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms developed over parts of the island chain as Lane moved away from the state to the west. Some of the precipitation caused flash flooding on Kauai, the Big Island, and Oahu.
- Wildfire in Hawaii, July 6 to 7, 2025A wildfire broke out in Maili on July 7 and burnt about ninety five acres. Two homes were damaged in the fire and one fatality was reported. Moderate drought conditions were in place at the time of the fire.
- High Surf in Hawaii, August 9 to 11, 2025A large long period south swell brought large surf and dangerous conditions to south facing shores of each island.
- Strong Wind in Hawaii, February 26 to 28, 2009A strong high far north of the state produced sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, and gusts as high as 50 mph, over all the islands. In one instance, a woman in her 60s was hit by a falling branch on Oahu and critically injured. She later died.
- Flash Flooding and Winter Storm in Hawaii, December 1 to 5, 2016An upper low and a separate upper trough generated heavy rain and showers, isolated thunderstorms, and flash flooding over much of the Aloha State. The features also produced snow and blustery weather to the upper elevations of the Big Island of Hawaii.
- High Surf in Hawaii, May 26 to 27, 1996A fall storm in the southern hemisphere, to the south of Tahiti, generated large ocean swell around May 19th. Surf with sets to 6 feet built along the south shores of the Hawaiian Islands during the late morning hours of the 26th.
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 16 to 17, 1996Large ocean swell generated by a distant north Pacific storm brought high surf to the Hawaiian Islands.
- High Surf in Hawaii, October 26 to 29, 1996Ocean swell generated by a storm low far to the north of the Hawaiian Islands produced surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north and west facing shores.
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 12 to 15, 1997A storm low far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands generated swell that produced surf of 15 to 20 feet with occasional sets to 25 feet along the north shores and surf of 10 to 15 feet along the west shores of the islands.
- High Surf in Hawaii, December 21 to 23, 1997Deep storm low that moved from near the dateline far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands to the Gulf of Alaska produced surf of 10 to 15 feet on north facing shores and 12 to 18 feet on west shores of all the islands.
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 25 to 26, 1999A fisherman was reported missing on the night of 25 February, but his body was later found on 26 February at 4:00 pm on the north side of Kaena Point. Police reported that the victim went in his boat, and it apparently capsized because of rough water.
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 12 to 14, 1999Two separate storm systems-one near Japan and one near the Gulf of Alaska-produced 8 to 12-foot surf along many north-facing beaches of the Hawaiian Islands.On Oahu, a Marine's (military) body was never found after a four-day search at sea.
- High Surf in Hawaii, November 8 to 9, 2001A deep storm low far northwest of the state produced surf of 15 to 25 feet , with some sets as high as 30 feet, along the north- and northwest-facing shores of all the islands. A woman was swept out to sea by the pounding surf on the north shore of Oahu around 1 P.M.
The costliest
- Wildfire in Hawaii, August 8 to 16, 2023
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, March 20 to 23, 2026
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, October 30, 2004
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, November 1 to 2, 2000
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Hawaii, March 6 to 11, 2021
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, March 27 to 31, 2020
- Flash Flooding and High Wind in Hawaii, March 12 to 15, 2026
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Hawaii, April 11 to 16, 2018
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, November 5 to 16, 1996
- Tsunami in Hawaii, March 11, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Hawaii, April 11 to 12, 2024
- Flash Flooding in Hawaii, February 21, 2026
- Tropical Storm and Flash Flood in Hawaii, August 24 to 26, 2024
- Hurricane and Flash Flooding in Hawaii, August 22 to 26, 2018
- High Wind in Hawaii, February 24 to 26, 1997
- Tornadoes in Hawaii, January 28, 1971
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, January 29, 2002
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, August 27 to 28, 2018
- Wildfire in Hawaii, August 6, 2003
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, May 1 to 2, 2022
- High Wind in Hawaii, March 3 to 4, 1996
- Flash Flood and Lightning Strike in Hawaii, May 15, 2026
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, September 8 to 9, 1996
- Wildfire in Hawaii, August 12 to 19, 2007
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, September 18, 2024
Counties
Every storm event filed in each county, including the zone-filed ones that covered it.
Counties and zones as filed
The places filed most often, as the offices named them.
| County or zone | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 963 | 7 | 8 | $99 million |
| Honolulu | 946 | 0 | 30 | $1.1 billion |
| Maui | 881 | 8 | 10 | $51 million |
| Kauai Windward zone | 656 | 10 | 7 | $1.1 million |
| Windward Haleakala zone | 607 | 1 | 1 | $158,000 |
| Molokai Windward zone | 575 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maui Windward West zone | 571 | 1 | 0 | |
| Kauai | 549 | 10 | 1 | $98 million |
| Molokai Leeward zone | 533 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Oahu Koolau zone | 532 | 0 | 12 | $111,000 |
| Niihau zone | 514 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maui Central Valley zone | 497 | 1 | 1 | $5,000 |
| Kauai Leeward zone | 475 | 1 | 0 | $1,000 |
| Big Island North and East zone | 463 | 1 | 2 | $357,000 |
| Waianae Coast zone | 436 | 2 | 4 | $1.1 million |
| Oahu North Shore zone | 398 | 6 | 26 | $1.2 million |
| South Big Island zone | 370 | 0 | 0 | $187,000 |
| Maui zone | 346 | 5 | 3 | $50,000 |
| Olomana zone | 334 | 4 | 2 | $157,000 |
| Kauai zone | 322 | 2 | 0 | |
| Oahu zone | 319 | 5 | 19 | $15 million |
| Kona zone | 306 | 4 | 0 | $15 million |
| Molokai zone | 298 | 1 | 0 | |
| Kohala zone | 274 | 0 | 5 | $63,000 |
| Lanai zone | 257 | 0 | 1 | |
| Maui Leeward West zone | 245 | 102 | 33 | $5.5 billion |
| Leeward Haleakala zone | 215 | 0 | 0 | $42,000 |
| North and East Hawaii zone | 187 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oahu South Shore zone | 181 | 4 | 21 | $479,000 |
| Lanai Makai zone | 174 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kahoolawe zone | 166 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Hawaii zone | 160 | 1 | 0 | $400,000 |
| Big Island Summit zone | 156 | 0 | 0 | |
| Island of Hawaii zone | 149 | 0 | 0 | $4.2 million |
| Big Island Interior zone | 135 | 0 | 0 | $2.0 million |
| South Hawaii zone | 129 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maui Central Valley North zone | 58 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lanai Mauka zone | 55 | 0 | 0 | $100,000 |
| Molokai West zone | 55 | 0 | 0 | |
| Molokai North zone | 54 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Maui/Upcountry zone | 54 | 0 | 0 | $55 million |
| Maui Central Valley South zone | 51 | 0 | 0 | $20,000 |
| Big Island Southeast zone | 46 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kauai Southwest zone | 46 | 0 | 0 | $10,000 |
| Molokai Leeward South zone | 43 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Haleakala zone | 43 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kauai North zone | 43 | 0 | 0 | $10,000 |
| Central Oahu zone | 41 | 1 | 2 | $80,000 |
| Haleakala Summit zone | 39 | 0 | 0 | |
| Honolulu Metro zone | 39 | 0 | 6 | $610,000 |
| Ewa Plain zone | 35 | 0 | 0 | $10,000 |
| Lanai South zone | 31 | 0 | 0 | |
| Big Island North zone | 30 | 0 | 0 | |
| East Honolulu zone | 30 | 0 | 1 | $150,000 |
| Lanai Leeward zone | 29 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kauai Mountains zone | 27 | 1 | 1 | $1.5 million |
| Big Island South zone | 27 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Hawaii Including Leeward Kohala and Kona zone | 24 | 0 | 4 | $200 |
| South Hawaii Including Kau zone | 23 | 0 | 0 | |
| North and East Hawaii Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna zone | 23 | 0 | 0 | |
| Big Island East zone | 23 | 0 | 0 | $20,000 |
| Molokai Southeast zone | 22 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wainae Mountains zone | 21 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kauai South zone | 21 | 0 | 0 | $7,000 |
| Koolau Windward zone | 18 | 0 | 0 | $330,000 |
| Kipahulu zone | 16 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kauai East zone | 15 | 0 | 0 | $2,000 |
| Lanai Windward zone | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| Koolau Leeward zone | 7 | 0 | 0 | $65,000 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Hiz001 Kauai | 1 | 0 | 0 | $15,000 |
Every year
More
Every tornado in HawaiiEvery warning in Hawaii since 1986River gauges in HawaiiEvery state
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.