129
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$49.2M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Maui County, Hawaii: 129 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #103 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Maui County, Hawaii: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Maui County is the 2010s, when 61 of the county's 129 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Maui County archive, flash flood makes up 14.7% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #103 for this hazard and #4 within Hawaii, putting it in the 96.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for flash flood in Maui County with 19 recorded events, while Jun is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2003 | KIPAHULU | 0 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 27, 2023 | I KIHEI | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 5, 2007 | KEOKEA | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2026 | NAHIKU | — | $250K |
| Mar 21, 2026 | ILIO POINT | — | $10.0M |
| Mar 21, 2026 | HONOKOHAU | — | $100K |
| Mar 13, 2026 | HONOKOHAU | — | $20.0M |
| Mar 12, 2026 | KAHULUI | — | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2026 | KAUNAKAKAI | — | $0 |
| Feb 21, 2026 | WAIANAPANAPA SP | — | $50K |
| Feb 21, 2026 | HAPPY VALLEY | — | $20K |
| Feb 8, 2026 | WAIANAPANAPA SP | — | $0 |
| Jan 29, 2023 | KIHEI | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Maui County
- Heavy Rain 623
- Flood 58
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
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.
On March 13, heavy rain began to fall and quickly led to extensive damage across Maui. This damage included widespread infrastructure damage, property and home losses, and emergency rescues. At 1030 AM HST, heavy rain washed away Lower Kula Road near Ohala Place, and all of South Kihei Road closed due to severe flooding. On March 14, 40 people were reportedly stranded in Hana due to flooding. Honoapiilani Hwy (Hwy 30) was closed from Kuihelani Hwy to the Olowalu dump due to flooding, swift water, and the integrity of the Ukuhehame bridge. At approximately 3:45 pm on March 14, a section of South Kihei Road collapsed. Many other roads across Maui were also closed. A home in Iao Valley collapsed into the Iao River. A Target store in Kahului reported severe flooding with several inches of water inisde the store.
Hana Highway was closed from Peahi Road near Haiku to Keanae in windward East Maui due to flooding. A dam failure in the same area was a possibility as water topped the Kaupakulua Dam upstream from the Haiku and Pauwela communities. The dam survived the downpours, however.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Maui County, Hawaii?
129 flash flood events are recorded in Maui County between 1996 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Maui County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Maui County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Maui County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Maui County, Hawaii.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/hawaii/maui-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.