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Honolulu 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 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 932 events for Honolulu County, Hawaii, between 1950 and 2026; other events account for the largest share.
That is 155.2 events per 100 square miles, above the Hawaii figure of 94.8, and 9.3 per 10,000 residents against 42.2 statewide.
16 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 0 deaths and 28 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $1.1B and crop damage at $12M.
FEMA has designated the county in 24 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 3,069 claims since 1978, of which 2,022 were paid, totalling $70M (about $35K per paid claim). FEMA counts 6,934 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" ($517M a year across 18 hazards).
4 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 | Honolulu County | Hawaii | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 932 | 6,089 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 155.2 | 94.8 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 9.3 | 42.2 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 16 | 125 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 0 | 133 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $1.1B | $6.9B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 4.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $35K | $42K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 11.4 | 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: 662 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 246 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Mar 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0B | $10M | — | 10 | County |
| 30 Oct 2004 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $80M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1999 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 6 | County |
| 26 Oct 2024 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 27 Mar 1963 | Tornado | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 15 Aug 1997 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Aug 2000 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 13 Dec 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Feb 2009 | Tornado | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Jun 2011 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 Dec 2013 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 25 Jan 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 Dec 2023 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 30 Nov 2025 | Dust Devil | Other | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Feb 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Mar 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.7M | $1.8M | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.2M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2026 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 1996 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $800K | — | — | — | 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 |
| 7 Apr 2026 | DR-4909 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Aug 2025 | FM-5609 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Kunia Road Fire | Public assistance |
| 15 Feb 2022 | DR-4639 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | 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 |
| 12 Sep 2018 | EM-3404 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Olivia | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2018 | EM-3399 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Lane | Public assistance |
| 8 May 2018 | DR-4365 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 8 Apr 2011 | DR-1967 | Major disaster | Tsunami | Tsunami Waves | Public assistance |
| 5 Jan 2009 | DR-1814 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 14 Aug 2007 | FM-2720 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Waialua Fire | Public assistance |
| 17 Oct 2006 | DR-1664 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Public assistance |
| 2 May 2006 | DR-1640 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Aug 2005 | FM-2577 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Waikele Fire | Public assistance |
| 15 Aug 2005 | FM-2576 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Nanakuli Brush Fire | Public assistance |
| 1 Feb 2005 | DR-1575 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flash Flooding | Public assistance |
| 26 Nov 1996 | DR-1147 | Major disaster | Flood | Prolonged And Heavy Rains, High Surf,Flooding,Land/Mud Slide | Public assistance |
| 18 Nov 1996 | EM-3122 | Emergency | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 1992 | DR-961 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Iniki | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 8 Jan 1988 | DR-808 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 27 Nov 1982 | DR-671 | Major disaster | Typhoon | Typhoon Iwa | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 7 May 1974 | DR-433 | Major disaster | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding | Individual 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 | 273 | 186 | $12,298,999 | $66,124 |
| 2025 | 9 | 4 | $126,017 | $31,504 |
| 2024 | 8 | 3 | $116,347 | $38,782 |
| 2023 | 11 | 6 | $698,319 | $116,387 |
| 2022 | 12 | 5 | $82,431 | $16,486 |
| 2021 | 158 | 115 | $4,857,730 | $42,241 |
| 2020 | 9 | 4 | $118,052 | $29,513 |
| 2019 | 17 | 4 | $95,526 | $23,882 |
| 2018 | 271 | 229 | $22,072,244 | $96,385 |
| 2017 | 24 | 15 | $557,776 | $37,185 |
| 2016 | 74 | 47 | $3,819,284 | $81,261 |
| 2015 | 31 | 9 | $910,832 | $101,204 |
| 2014 | 42 | 28 | $777,531 | $27,769 |
| 2013 | 7 | 3 | $76,576 | $25,525 |
| 2012 | 68 | 40 | $889,541 | $22,239 |
| 2011 | 49 | 18 | $482,022 | $26,779 |
| 2010 | 20 | 13 | $211,703 | $16,285 |
| 2009 | 5 | 3 | $62,195 | $20,732 |
| 2008 | 172 | 133 | $4,726,226 | $35,536 |
| 2007 | 17 | 4 | $11,785 | $2,946 |
| 2006 | 173 | 147 | $3,395,412 | $23,098 |
| 2005 | 18 | 6 | $66,766 | $11,128 |
| 2004 | 68 | 43 | $551,511 | $12,826 |
| 2003 | 51 | 38 | $1,053,069 | $27,712 |
| 2002 | 13 | 5 | $36,027 | $7,205 |
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 | $329,700,823 | |
| Earthquake | $92,550,972 | |
| Tsunami | $48,052,388 | |
| Wildfire | $26,767,968 | |
| Lightning | $12,561,989 | |
| Landslide | $3,955,436 | |
| Coastal flooding | $1,834,354 | |
| Hurricane | $880,426 | |
| Tornado | $687,813 | |
| Ice storm | $159,100 | |
| Strong wind | $63,866 | |
| Hail | $39,216 | |
| Drought | $147 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 2020 | 58 mi | 92 mph |
| Olivia | 2018 | 67 mi | 40 mph |
| Gil | 1983 | 55 mi | 46 mph |
| Dot | 1959 | 60 mi | 115 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
- 96821 415
- 96734 370
- 96712 320
- 96792 235
- 96762 223
- 96717 199
- 96815 162
- 96816 162
- 96730 141
- 96819 135
- 96791 130
- 96744 117
- 96825 75
- 96826 70
- 96706 64
- 96822 62
- 96817 38
- 96795 36
- 96813 28
- 96782 13
- 96701 12
- 96731 12
- 96797 10
- 96810 9
- 96789 6
- 96814 5
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 Honolulu County, HI?
NCEI records 7 hail events in Honolulu County since 1950, in 2 different years; that is about 0.1 recorded events a year. 4 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Honolulu County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 20 tornadoes in Honolulu County since 1950, 3 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Honolulu County?
25 Sep 2026: Tropical Storm Nolo, a emergency declaration for tropical storm. The county appears in 24 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Honolulu County, and how much was paid?
3,069 NFIP claims since 1978, 2,022 of them paid, for $70M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Honolulu 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 Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Honolulu County compare with the rest of Hawaii?
155.2 recorded events per 100 square miles against 94.8 statewide, and 3.1 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 1 Oct 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 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.