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Hawaii County, Hawaii
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Hawaii County, Hawaii, has 956 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them other events.
That is 23.7 events per 100 square miles, below the Hawaii figure of 94.8, and 47.1 per 10,000 residents against 42.2 statewide.
8 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 7 deaths and 8 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $98M and crop damage at $975K.
FEMA has designated the county in 34 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Tropical Storm Nolo (emergency, 25 Sep 2026).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 800 claims since 1978, of which 556 were paid, totalling $23M (about $42K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,215 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($365M a year across 18 hazards).
8 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Hawaii and the United States
| Measure | Hawaii County | Hawaii | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 956 | 6,089 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 23.7 | 94.8 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 47.1 | 42.2 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 8 | 125 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 7 | 133 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $98M | $6.9B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 4.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $42K | $42K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 6.6 | 12.8 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 688 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 254 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 2011 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 19 Dec 2012 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 14 Sep 2015 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 21 Jan 2017 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 26 Jan 2018 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 1 Nov 2000 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $70M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jan 1971 | Tornado | Tornado | — | $2.5M | — | — | 4 | County |
| 3 Nov 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 18 Nov 1997 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $7.1M | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | $50K | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2024 | Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | $10K | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Feb 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 90 mph | — | $750K | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2004 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $550K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 2026 | EM-3654 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nolo | Public assistance |
| 1 Sep 2026 | DR-4936 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Individual assistance |
| 25 Aug 2026 | EM-3652 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Lala | Public assistance |
| 26 Jul 2026 | FM-5650 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Kawaihae Road Fire | Public assistance |
| 7 Apr 2026 | DR-4909 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Aug 2023 | DR-4724 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires And High Winds | Public assistance |
| 9 Aug 2023 | FM-5478 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Mauna Kea Beach Fire | Public assistance |
| 8 Aug 2023 | FM-5474 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Kohala Ranch Fire | Public assistance |
| 1 Aug 2021 | FM-5404 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Mana Road Fire | Public assistance |
| 25 Jul 2020 | EM-3529 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Douglas | Public assistance |
| 1 Apr 2020 | DR-4510 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3431 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 27 Sep 2018 | DR-4395 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Lane | Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 2018 | EM-3404 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Olivia | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2018 | EM-3399 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Lane | Public assistance |
| 11 May 2018 | DR-4366 | Major disaster | Volcanic Eruption | Kilauea Volcanic Eruption And Earthquakes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Nov 2014 | DR-4201 | Major disaster | Volcanic Eruption | Pu'U O'O Volcanic Eruption And Lava Flow | Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 2014 | DR-4194 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Iselle | Public assistance |
| 8 Apr 2011 | DR-1967 | Major disaster | Tsunami | Tsunami Waves | Public assistance |
| 6 Feb 2008 | DR-1743 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Surf, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 28 Oct 2007 | FM-2740 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Puako Fire | Public assistance |
| 17 Aug 2007 | FM-2722 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Kohala Mountain Road Fire | Public assistance |
| 17 Oct 2006 | DR-1664 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 4 Aug 2005 | FM-2574 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Akoni Pule Highway Fire | Public assistance |
| 2 Aug 2005 | FM-2573 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Lalamilo Fire | Public assistance |
| 14 Sep 2004 | FM-2556 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Kawaihae Road Fire Hawaii | Public assistance |
| 18 May 2003 | FM-2468 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Hi - Waikoloa Village Fire - 05/18/2003 | Public assistance |
| 9 Nov 2000 | DR-1348 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 20 Mar 2000 | FM-2293 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Hawaii County Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 1992 | DR-961 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Iniki | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 May 1990 | DR-864 | Major disaster | Volcanic Eruption | Lava Flow, Kilauea Volcano | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 7 Mar 1979 | DR-573 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 7 Dec 1975 | DR-490 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake, Seismic Waves & Volcanic Eruption | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 16 May 1973 | DR-383 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 16 | $1,259,978 | $78,749 |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | $348,158 | $69,632 |
| 2024 | 9 | 7 | $383,104 | $54,729 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 16 | 12 | $1,907,270 | $158,939 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | $63,934 | $31,967 |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | $94,191 | $47,096 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | $101,825 | $33,942 |
| 2018 | 17 | 14 | $623,038 | $44,503 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2016 | 5 | 1 | $4,856 | $4,856 |
| 2015 | 10 | 5 | $94,718 | $18,944 |
| 2014 | 25 | 15 | $825,025 | $55,002 |
| 2013 | 8 | 3 | $89,104 | $29,701 |
| 2011 | 104 | 66 | $10,495,791 | $159,027 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | $9,628 | $4,814 |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2008 | 21 | 14 | $299,787 | $21,413 |
| 2007 | 7 | 5 | $68,829 | $13,766 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | $30,099 | $30,099 |
| 2005 | 5 | 3 | $37,138 | $12,379 |
| 2004 | 11 | 7 | $113,646 | $16,235 |
| 2003 | 23 | 21 | $338,549 | $16,121 |
| 2002 | 13 | 10 | $366,857 | $36,686 |
| 2001 | 4 | 2 | $26,734 | $13,367 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $185,331,482 | |
| Earthquake | $121,259,118 | |
| Volcanic activity | $26,325,630 | |
| Tsunami | $14,885,078 | |
| Wildfire | $14,111,991 | |
| Lightning | $2,417,788 | |
| Hurricane | $447,385 | |
| Coastal flooding | $125,380 | |
| Tornado | $33,455 | |
| Landslide | $23,175 | |
| Drought | $15,774 | |
| Strong wind | $11,312 | |
| Hail | $8,369 | |
| Ice storm | $3,321 | |
| Winter weather | $504 | |
| Cold wave | $14 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hone | 2024 | 97 mi | 86 mph |
| Linda | 2021 | 97 mi | 40 mph |
| Darby | 2016 | 24 mi | 46 mph |
| Iselle | 2014 | 28 mi | 69 mph |
| Dalilia | 1989 | 100 mi | 63 mph |
| Diana | 1972 | 86 mi | 69 mph |
| Unnamed Pacific storm | 1958 | 66 mi | 52 mph |
| Kanoa | 1957 | 98 mi | 86 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Hawaii County, HI?
NCEI records 11 hail events in Hawaii County since 1950, in 8 different years; that is about 0.1 recorded events a year. 0 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Hawaii County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 10 tornadoes in Hawaii County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Hawaii County?
25 Sep 2026: Tropical Storm Nolo, a emergency declaration for tropical storm. The county appears in 34 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Hawaii County, and how much was paid?
800 NFIP claims since 1978, 556 of them paid, for $23M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Hawaii County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Moderate" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Moderate" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Hawaii County compare with the rest of Hawaii?
23.7 recorded events per 100 square miles against 94.8 statewide, and 3.9 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 4.4. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.