149
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$93.3M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Kauai County, Hawaii: 149 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #74 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Kauai County, Hawaii: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Kauai County is the 2010s, when 74 of the county's 149 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 Kauai County archive, flash flood makes up 27.3% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #74 for this hazard and #1 within Hawaii, putting it in the 97.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for flash flood in Kauai County with 49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2006 | HANALEI | 0 | 7 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2018 | PRINCEVILLE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1.5M |
| Dec 4, 2016 | WAILUA | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 17, 2019 | PRINCEVILLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2026 | NA PALI COAST SP | — | $0 |
| Feb 21, 2026 | PRINCEVILLE | — | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | NA PALI COAST SP | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2024 | LIHUE | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2024 | KAPAA | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2024 | KAUMAKANI | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2024 | LAWAI | 0 | $6.5M |
| Apr 12, 2024 | WAILUA | 0 | $7.0M |
| Apr 12, 2024 | PRINCEVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 29, 2023 | POIPU | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Kauai County
- Heavy Rain 303
- Flood 51
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.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Kauai County, Hawaii?
149 flash flood events are recorded in Kauai County between 1996 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Kauai County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Kauai County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Kauai 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 Kauai County, Hawaii.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/hawaii/kauai-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.