Kauai County, Hawaii severe weather history spans 546 recorded events between 1967 and 2026. The dominant hazard is heavy rain, accounting for 55.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #742 nationally and #4 in Hawaii.
546
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$97.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Kauai County, Hawaii severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Kauai County, Hawaii severe weather history averages 9.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 255 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 3 events fall before 1990 and 543 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Kauai County, Hawaii record is flash flood, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $93.3M in reported property damage. In total, 11 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Kauai County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain | 303 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 149 | 9 | $93.3M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 51 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 11 | 0 | $166K | 80 | 1995–2024 |
| Debris Flow | 8 | 0 | $3.9M | 0 | 2013–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $310K | F0 | 1967–2008 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2002–2017 |
| Wildfire | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2003 |
| Waterspout | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1998 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0.75 | 2012–2012 |
Decade by decade
Kauai County, Hawaii severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-01-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-03-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Kauai County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2006 | Flash Flood | HANALEI | 7 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2018 | Flash Flood | PRINCEVILLE | 1 | 0 | $1.5M |
| Dec 4, 2016 | Flash Flood | WAILUA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 22, 2013 | Flood | NA PALI COAST SP | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 17, 2019 | Flash Flood | PRINCEVILLE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Kuhio Highway was also closed near the Hanalei Bridge in northern Kauai as the Hanalei River overflowed its banks along the roadway. Later in the morning around 04:30 HST after heavy downpours, Kuhio Highway was closed in Wailua at the Wailua River in windward Kauai as debris piled up against the bridge crossing the waterway. Some homes and businesses in the area were also affected by flooding waters. There were no reports of significant injuries.
Heavy rain caused the Hanalei River to overflow near the Hanalei Bridge, which then closed Kuhio Highway in that area. Other areas in northern Kauai were affected by downpours that caused debris flows unto roadways, near Princeville, Kilauea, and Wailoko. Other areas that had problems were near Lihue at Niumalu and Hulemalu roads, and in Kapaa where the Keapana Bridge became impassable.
In northern Kauai, Kuhio Highway was closed in Hanalei near the Hanalei Bridge due to flooding as of 1900 HST. Two homes were destroyed on Wainiha Powerhouse Road in Wainiha as of 2000 HST, and at the same time the roadway itself was washed out. At 0130 HST on the 15th, multiple people became trapped in their homes between Hanalei and Haena. Around 0400 HST, guests in the Hanalei Colony Resort in Haena had been moved to the second floor due to rising water. And at 0400 HST, water as high as 8 feet was covering Kuhio Highway in Hanalei and other areas, including submerging many vehicles. Small hail was reported by a member of the public at 0600 HST in Wailua in the eastern part of Kauai.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
73,731
Population (ACS)
$873K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR |
| Jul 25, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE DOUGLAS | EM |
| Jul 9, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 1, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 27, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LANE | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Princeville 289
- Hanalei 156
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Kauai County, Hawaii?
546 events are on record between 1967 and 2026, causing 10 direct deaths and $97.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Kauai County?
Heavy Rain, with 303 recorded events — 55.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Kauai County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Kauai County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Kauai County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Kauai County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kauai County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 84 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Kauai County, Hawaii severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Kalawao County 0
- Maui County 875
- Honolulu County 937
- Hawaii County 957
Cite this page
“Kauai County, Hawaii.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/hawaii/kauai-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.