Kauai County, Hawaii
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 15007 · population 73,136 · 620 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 3,693 records for Kauai County, Hawaii from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,545 days; the most frequent are rip current and surf records (2,719 records). 3,143 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the March 13, 2006 flash flood: 7 deaths. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1974, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Storm Nolo” on September 25, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 3,693on 1,545 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 3431 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $150Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Kauai County most?
The most frequent records are rip current and surf records: 2,719 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Hawaii's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip currents and high surf | 2,719 | 986 | 1996-2026 | 22 | 22 | $758K | 1 of 4 |
| Heavy rain | 306 | 265 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $28M | 2 of 4 |
| Floods | 211 | 168 | 1996-2026 | 10 | 1 | $103M | 2 of 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | 208 | 112 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 8 | $10M | 2 of 4 |
| Drought | 161 | 94 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $181K | 1 of 4 |
| Wildfires | 28 | 27 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 3 of 4 |
| Winter storms | 19 | 16 | 1996-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 4 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 11 | 10 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 4 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 11 | 11 | 1995-2024 | 0 | 0 | $312K | 1 of 4 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 8 | 7 | 2013-2021 | 0 | 0 | $4.2M | 2 of 4 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1967-2008 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 2 of 4 |
| Lightning | 4 | 3 | 2002-2017 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 3 of 4 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Kauai County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Kauai County from 1967 to 2008, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd of 4 Hawaii counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 6 tornadoes whose track touched Kauai County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Hawaii.
Every tornado record filed for Kauai County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-13 | Pakala Village, Kauai County | EF0 0.85 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-01-08 | Waimea, Kauai County | F0 5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-03-24 | Anahola, Kauai County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 1971-12-31 | Kauai County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1971-12-18 | Kauai County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-12-17 | Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Kauai County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 13, 2026 high wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-09 | Flash FloodNa Pali Coast Sp, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindKauai County · forecast zone Kauai Southwest | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-02-21 | Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai East | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-20 | Flash FloodNa Pali Coast Sp, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-04 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai East | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-04 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai North | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-23 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai North | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | DroughtKauai County · forecast zone Kauai Southwest | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-27 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Niihau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-27 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai North | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-01 | DroughtKauai County · forecast zone Kauai South | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-03-13 | Flash FloodHanalei, Kauai County Flash 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 14th. With the excessive rainfall, a ... | 7 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-30 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Maui Several 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. Four tourists, 3 from Georgia and 1 from Utah, drowned in the high surf at Keanae Point, Maui at approximately 2 ... | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-10-12 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai Windward A 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. Two females, ages 33 and 38, were swept out to sea ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-01-17 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai Windward A 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 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-05-26 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Kauai Windward A 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. Lifeguards conducted 100 water rescues by waverunner, including 33 at Waikiki. Three ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2002-06-12 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Oahu A storm low east of New Zealand generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. One man drowned at about 12:20 PM HST on June 13th near Koko Kai Beach Park south of Portlock on Oahu's southeast coast after being swept out to sea by high surf. Two women near the same area were ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1997-12-21 | High SurfKauai County · forecast zone Maui Deep 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. The rough surf claimed the life of a 46-year old woman and injured her 40-year old female cousin in ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2018-08-28 | Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County Flooding waters on Kuhio Highway closed the roadway near the Hanalei Bridge in the northern part of Kauai. One fatality occurred when a man jumped into the swollen Waikomo Stream to try to save a dog. | 1 | 0 | $1.8M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-28 | Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $35M | |
| 2021-03-09 | Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $33M | |
| 1996-11-05 | Heavy RainOahu, Kauai County · forecast zone Oahu | 0 | 0 | $28M | |
| 2018-04-14 | Flash FloodHanalei, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $21M | |
| 1997-02-24 | High WindKauai County · forecast zone Island Of Hawaii | 0 | 0 | $7.5M | |
| 2024-04-12 | Flash FloodWailua, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2024-04-12 | Flash FloodLawai, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $6.1M | |
| 2021-03-06 | Debris FlowHanalei, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $4.2M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 17, 1967 (tornado, Kauai County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Kauai County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 494 | 1,064 | 911 | 250 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 1 | 89 | 170 | 46 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 33 | 69 | 77 | 32 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 97 | 92 | 11 | 8 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 43 | 27 | 51 | 40 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 1 | 9 | 17 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Kauai County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 520 · Feb 522 · Mar 448 · Apr 276 · May 165 · Jun 170 · Jul 138 · Aug 141 · Sep 183 · Oct 277 · Nov 355 · Dec 498 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Kauai County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Kauai County: 13 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-25 | EM-3654 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nolo |
| 2024-06-17 | DR-4793 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2020-07-25 | EM-3529 | Hurricane | Hurricane Douglas |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4549 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2020-04-01 | DR-4510 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3431 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-09-27 | DR-4395 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lane |
| 2018-09-12 | EM-3404 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Olivia |
| 2018-08-22 | EM-3399 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lane |
| 2018-05-08 | DR-4365 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2012-04-18 | DR-4062 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2009-01-05 | DR-1814 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-02-06 | DR-1743 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Surf, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2006-10-17 | DR-1664 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 2006-05-02 | DR-1640 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 1992-09-12 | DR-961 | Hurricane | Hurricane Iniki |
| 1982-11-27 | DR-671 | Typhoon | Typhoon Iwa |
| 1974-05-07 | DR-433 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Kauai County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 211 flood or flash flood records for Kauai County from 1996 to 2026, on 168 days, with 10 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Kauai County ranks 243rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Lane | 2018-08-28 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $47.7 million on 1,495 claims filed in Kauai County; the most in one year was 729 in 1992. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 33 · 1983: 27 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 2 · 1986: 21 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 11 · 1989: 10 · 1990: 6 · 1991: 74 · 1992: 729 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 51 · 1996: 16 · 1997: 8 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 6 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 5 · 2005: 18 · 2006: 20 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 18 · 2009: 19 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 39 · 2014: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 206 · 2019: 13 · 2020: 38 · 2021: 11 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 67 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 5; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Kauai County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kauai County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $60.9 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 79 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $166K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | once in about 203 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $48M | 5.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | $8.6M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $395K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $140K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $210K | once in about 1,182 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Next
- Tornadoes in HawaiiEvery Hawaii tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Rip currents and high surf in HawaiiThe state's rip current and surf records, by county, year and month
- The Hawaii recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Kauai CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Kauai County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis