Hawaii floods
Every recorded flood since 1996 · 4 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 865 floods and flash floods in Hawaii from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 24 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the March 13, 2006 flash flood in Kauai County: 7 deaths. Hawaii ranks 44th of 52 states and territories by count and 16th of 51 per square mile.
Floods in Hawaii, 1996 to 2026
Flood records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 8651996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 24average
- Deaths
- 1824 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.5Bas filed
- Busiest year
- 199777 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are floods and flash floods common in Hawaii?
Hawaii averages about 24 floods and flash floods a year since 2000, 44th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1997 (77). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Hawaii records 1347 floods and flash floods since 1996, 16th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Hawaii have the most floods and flash floods?
Per square mile, Honolulu County leads Hawaii: 184 days with a flood since 1996, 306.3 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Honolulu County has the most flood records (238 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is flood season in Hawaii?
Hawaii's floods and flash floods by month. The busiest month is March (160 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 92 · Feb 93 · Mar 160 · Apr 39 · May 40 · Jun 29 · Jul 24 · Aug 60 · Sep 44 · Oct 80 · Nov 88 · Dec 116 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest floods and flash floods in Hawaii?
| 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 | – | |
| 2003-04-10 | Flash FloodKipahulu, Maui County A 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. Haleakala generated flash flooding conditions over eastern and ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-07-10 | Flash FloodPapaikou, Hawaii County A brief heavy shower over the eastern parts of the Big Island of Hawaii caused the Kawainui Stream to rise abruptly. Two individuals prawning in the stream bed were caught in the rapidly moving water. One man died as he was swept away, while a woman was injured as she held on to a large rock as the water rushed around ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2018-08-28 | Hurricane Lane · Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County One named storm filed by several offices: 2 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. More 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. One man died on Kauai on the 28th when he jumped into a swollen stream to try to save a dog. The ... | 1 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2012-12-19 | Flash FloodPapaaloa, Hawaii County Brief heavy rainfall along the windward slopes of the Big Island above Papaaloa caused rapid rises in local streams. Broadcast media reported that a tourist from California was swept to his death in the Pahale Stream while attempting to cross. It appears the individual may have been lost while seeking a local cabin ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-02-21 | FloodNa Pali Coast Sp, Kauai County One of the approximately 50 hikers stranded on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai was swept into the swollen Hanakapiai Stream near Hanakapiai Beach. The body was recovered at 8:30 AM the next morning, 2/22/13. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-01-27 | Flash FloodI Kihei, Maui County Flash flooding closed Pulehu Road was above the landfill, South Kihei Road near Kulanihakoi Gulch, and Piilani Highway near Nuu. A firefighter helping to clear flood waters was swept into a storm drain and carried about 800 yards to the ocean at around 1 pm HST. He succumbed to injuries on February 4, 2023. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-02-18 | Flash FloodHonokaa, Hawaii County Flooding rain damaged a store in the Hamakua District on the Big Island of Hawaii, in the town of Honokaa. Also, a man died in leeward Big Island in the later evening on the 18th. His was staying in a shack-like structure on a coffee farm in Holualoa when, apparently, strong and gusty winds from a thunderstorm blew ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-01-21 | Flash FloodHonokaa, Hawaii County A woman attempted to cross fast-moving water that was knee-deep in a private driveway off Kahana Drive in Ahumoa near Honokaa on the Big Island of Hawaii. She was swept away and was found dead the next morning, Jan. 22. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-12-03 | Flash FloodWailua, Kauai County Flash flooding at a stream near the Wailua River on Kauai swept a woman away to her death, though others in the kayak and hiking tour group managed to get to safety. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest floods and flash floods in Hawaii
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-20 | Flash FloodKawela Bay, Honolulu County One storm episode: 5 records in 3 places, 2026-03-20 to 2026-03-23; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 10 | $1.0B | |
| 2004-10-30 | Flash FloodKailua, Honolulu County | 0 | 0 | $125M | |
| 2000-11-01 | Flash FloodLaupahoehoe, Hawaii County | 0 | 0 | $120M | |
| 2021-03-09 | Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $53M | |
| 2020-03-28 | Flash FloodPrinceville, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | $35M | |
| 2026-03-13 | Flash FloodHonokohau, Maui County One storm episode: 10 records in 3 places, 2026-03-13 to 2026-03-14; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 2018-04-14 | Flash FloodHanalei, Kauai County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $23M | |
| 2024-04-12 | Flash FloodWailua, Kauai County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $13M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are floods and flash floods becoming more frequent in Hawaii?
Hawaii's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Hawaii | United States | Hawaii's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 202 | 20,986 | 0.96% |
| 2000s | 250 | 54,913 | 0.46% |
| 2010s | 266 | 68,322 | 0.39% |
| 2020-26 | 147 | 43,563 | 0.34% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent floods and flash floods in Hawaii
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-02 | Flash FloodPahala, Hawaii County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-15 | Flash FloodMokuleia, Honolulu County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2026-04-10 | Flash FloodKawela Bay, Honolulu County | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 2026-04-09 | Flash FloodNa Pali Coast Sp, Kauai County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-07 | Flash FloodMountain View, Hawaii County | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 2026-04-07 | Flash FloodNahiku, Maui County | 0 | 0 | $250K | |
| 2026-03-23 | Flash FloodHilo, Hawaii County | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 2026-03-23 | Flash FloodKahuku, Honolulu County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2026-03-21 | Flash FloodIlio Point, Maui County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2026-03-21 | Flash FloodHonokohau, Maui County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2026-03-20 | Flash FloodKawela Bay, Honolulu County | 0 | 10 | $1.0B | |
| 2026-03-14 | Flash FloodMahukona, Hawaii County | 0 | 0 | $5.0M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for floods and flash floods in Hawaii
FEMA has declared 22 disasters in Hawaii for floods and flash floods, counting its incident type and declarations that name flood in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 21 were major disasters, the latest on April 7, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4909 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 3 |
| 2024-06-17 | DR-4793 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides | 1 |
| 2022-02-15 | DR-4639 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides | 2 |
| 2021-05-13 | DR-4604 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides | 1 |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4549 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2018-05-08 | DR-4365 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 2 |
| 2016-10-06 | DR-4282 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 1 |
| 2012-04-18 | DR-4062 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides | 2 |
| 2009-01-05 | DR-1814 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 2 |
| 2008-02-06 | DR-1743 | Severe Storms, High Surf, Flooding, and Mudslides | 3 |
| 2006-05-02 | DR-1640 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 2 |
| 2005-02-01 | DR-1575 | Severe Storms and Flash Flooding | 1 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Honolulu County: the county's whole recordThe Hawaii county with the most floods and flash floods per square mile
- Floods across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in HawaiiTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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- Drought in Hawaii1,685 records
- High wind and dust storms in Hawaii685 records