NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kailua Kona, HI
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kailua Kona, Hawaii since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Darby in 2016. Since 1950, 1 tornado has touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 1
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Kailua Kona
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kailua Kona; the strongest was Iselle in 2014, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Kailua Kona begins with Iselle in 2014; the most recent system was Darby in 2016, a tropical storm 51 miles away. Of the 57 Hawaii cities on this site, 93% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Kailua Kona. The only tornado within 25 miles was an F2 on January 28, 1971; its path came within 2 miles. Of the 57 Hawaii cities, 81% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kailua Kona. Hail has been reported within 10 miles once, in 2008, with stones of 0.75 inches (penny size). Kailua Kona has more hail reports within 10 miles than 49% of the 57 Hawaii cities.
Compare Kailua Kona's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kailua Kona
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kailua Kona: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Kailua Kona
By decade
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 1971 | F2 | 2 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 1 of 1, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kailua Kona
The Storm Prediction Center has one hail report within 10 miles of Kailua Kona, from January 29, 2008: 0.75 inches (penny size).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kailua Kona
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kailua Kona Ke-Ahole Airport, HI, 6 miles northwest of Kailua Kona at 43 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 76°F; February is the coolest, at 82°F and 68°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from August to October. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 9.9 inches is more than at 1 of the 33 Hawaii stations used on this site (3%). Waikoloa, 22 miles northeast, has its own station (Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI): 8.9 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and an August average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81 | 69 | 1.4 | 2 |
| Feb | 82 | 68 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Mar | 82 | 70 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Apr | 83 | 71 | 0.6 | 2 |
| May | 84 | 73 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Jun | 85 | 74 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Jul | 86 | 75 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Aug | 87 | 76 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Sep | 87 | 75 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Oct | 86 | 75 | 0.9 | 2 |
| Nov | 84 | 72 | 0.8 | 1 |
| Dec | 82 | 70 | 1.1 | 2 |
| Year | 84 | 72 | 9.9 | 19 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kailua Kona Ke-Ahole Airport, HI (43 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Kailua Kona
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kailua Kona: 92 heavy rain events, 10 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 thunderstorm wind report. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 58 mph, on February 18, 2018. September has had the most flash floods, 4 of 10. Of the 51 Hawaii cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 6 have had fewer than Kailua Kona.
February 18, 2018: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Kailua Kona — 1 killed.
NWS: “A shack-like structure was blown 150 feet off its foundation by the thunderstorm winds. Time of event estimated based on radar.”
September 18, 2024: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Kailua Kona — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Hualalai Rd was closed near Lako St due to flooding. Twenty two properties reported flood damage.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Kailua Kona's ZIP code 96740 have filed 416 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $16.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1980: 47 claims (11% of all) and $664,000, then Hurricane Iniki in 1992 with 40. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 94. 22% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 38 Hawaii cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 35 have fewer than Kailua Kona.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1980 | 47 | $664,000 |
| Hurricane Iniki1992 | 40 | $619,000 |
Hawaii County, which includes Kailua Kona, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 fires, 6 hurricanes, 4 earthquakes, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Lala, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hawaii County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $365.0 million a year, the 2nd highest of 5 Hawaii counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $185.3 million (51%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Kailua Kona
- Kealakekua, HI11 mi
- Waikoloa, HI22 mi
- Holualoa, HI24 mi
- Captain Cook, HI26 mi
- Kamuela, HI31 mi
- Kapaau, HI40 mi
- Honokaa, HI41 mi
- Ocean View, HI42 mi
- Naalehu, HI47 mi
- Volcano, HI52 mi
- Hilo, HI57 mi
- Mountain View, HI57 mi
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