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Hawaii Flood Stories

145 first-hand accounts of flood events in Hawaii, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flash Flood$70.0M damage

Hawaii, HI · Nov 1, 2000

Upper air instability and remnants of a tropical cyclone combined to generate torrential rains that produced severe flash flooding over eastern and southeastern parts of the Big Island on the 1st and 2nd of November.

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Flash Flood

Hawaii, HI · Nov 3, 2018

A low aloft northeast of the Island of Hawaii generated heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and flash flooding over the isle and, to a lesser extent, Oahu.

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Flash Flood

Honolulu, HI · Jan 25, 2021

Strong high pressure far northeast of the islands and an upper trough to the southwest caused low level moisture to flow over the state from the southeast.

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Flash Flood$1.0M damage

Hawaii, HI · Sep 8, 1996

Warm topped convection associated with an upper trough was anchored over the higher slopes of the South Kohala District. Heavy rainfall occurred in a 3 to 5 mile radius upslope of Highway 190 between Waikoloa Road and Waimea Town.

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Flash Flood$800K damage

Honolulu, HI · Jan 25, 1996

A mesoscale low was detected by the Kauai WSR-88D during the early evening of the 24th just north of Oahu. Velocity and Storm Relative Velocity products indicated cyclonic circulation from 15 to 20 thousand feet.

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Flash Flood

Kauai, HI · Nov 16, 2019

With a front approaching Kauai from the northwest, a surface trough near the Big Island, and a slow-moving upper level disturbance; heavy showers and thunderstorms formed as the features acted on abundant moisture.

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Flash Flood$2.5M damage

Maui, HI · Jan 29, 2002

Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms resulted in nine or ten luxury apartments being flooded near the Manele Golf Course on Lanai. In Maui, flood waters entered the basement of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission. Some homes on Molokai and West Maui were also damaged.

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Flash Flood$536K damage

Maui, HI · Jan 19, 1997

Drainageways overflowed in Lahaina, flooding an underground parking lot and damaging several cars. Flooding closed a section of Kamehameha V Highway two miles east of Kaunakakai.Overall, residents and businesses reported losing hundreds of thousands of dollars from waters that…

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Flood

Maui, HI · Jan 31, 2025

A strong low that passed a few hundred miles north of the state produced gale force winds and heavy rainfall over all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The worst flooding affected O'ahu during the daylight hours of January 30 and southwest Maui that night.

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Flood

Honolulu, HI · Jan 30, 2025

A strong low that passed a few hundred miles north of the state produced gale force winds and heavy rainfall over all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The worst flooding affected O'ahu during the daylight hours of January 30 and southwest Maui that night.

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Flash Flood$90K damage

Maui, HI · Oct 15, 2002

Severe flash flooding occurred in the Kula area of East Maui near Waipoli Road. A deluge of water sent boulders, mud, and large eucalyptus trees down a steep mountainside gulch in a nearby subdivision.

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Flash Flood$60K damage

Honolulu, HI · May 6, 2002

An upper trough ignited heavy showers and thunderstorms over northwest and central parts of Oahu. Police closed Kamehameha Highway between Kamananui Road in Wahiawa to Weed Junction in Waialua from 630 AM until noon because of flooding.

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Flash Flood

Kauai, HI · Apr 11, 2024

A strong low pressure system to the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands along with an associated surface trough brought abundant moisture and an unstable atmosphere to the region.

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Flash Flood

Kauai, HI · Apr 12, 2024

A strong low pressure system to the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands along with an associated surface trough brought abundant moisture and an unstable atmosphere to the region.

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Flash Flood

Kauai, HI · Apr 12, 2024

A strong low pressure system to the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands along with an associated surface trough brought abundant moisture and an unstable atmosphere to the region.

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Flash Flood

Kauai, HI · Apr 12, 2024

A strong low pressure system to the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands along with an associated surface trough brought abundant moisture and an unstable atmosphere to the region.

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Flood$400K damage

West Hawaii, HI · Sep 9, 2000

Heavy rain and showers caused minor stream flooding and ponding of roadways on the Kona side of the Big Island. This event also produced excessive soil runoff at the Hokulia real estate development project in Kealakekua, with a cost to developers of up to $400,000.

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Flash Flood

Maui, HI · Jan 29, 2023

Radar indicated heavy rain across portions of Maui County through the early morning hours. The most intense rain fell over the Wailuku and Waikapu areas with rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour over saturated ground.

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Flash Flood

Maui, HI · Jan 29, 2023

Radar indicated heavy rain across portions of Maui County through the early morning hours. The most intense rain fell over the Wailuku and Waikapu areas with rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour over saturated ground.

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Tropical Storm

Big Island East, HI · Aug 25, 2024

Hurricane Hone, which formed in the Central Pacific, tracked towards the Hawaiian islands and passed by just south of the Big Island. Hurricane Hone's outer rain bands brought flooding to portions of the Big Island and the close proximity of the center of the storm brought…

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Tropical Storm

Big Island Interior, HI · Aug 24, 2024

Hurricane Hone, which formed in the Central Pacific, tracked towards the Hawaiian islands and passed by just south of the Big Island. Hurricane Hone's outer rain bands brought flooding to portions of the Big Island and the close proximity of the center of the storm brought…

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Flood

Honolulu, HI · Dec 14, 2025

A cold front with robust upper level support brought localized flooding impacts to Kauai and Oahu. Moderate southerly winds pushed moist air with precipitable water values in excess of 1.8 inches over the islands, contributing to periods of heavy rainfall.

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Flood

Honolulu, HI · Dec 14, 2025

A cold front with robust upper level support brought localized flooding impacts to Kauai and Oahu. Moderate southerly winds pushed moist air with precipitable water values in excess of 1.8 inches over the islands, contributing to periods of heavy rainfall.

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Flash Flood$30K damage

Hawaii, HI · Oct 24, 2001

Thunderstorms and heavy showers dropped more than 12 inches of rain in upper Hilo. The drenching damaged a road, Akolea Place, with a cost estimate of repair at $30 thousand.

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