NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kaunakakai, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kaunakakai, Hawaii since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Linda in 2021. Since 1950, 3 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 3
- 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 Kaunakakai
The strongest storm to pass near Kaunakakai was Douglas in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The record near Kaunakakai begins with Gil in 1983; the most recent system was Linda in 2021, a tropical storm 50 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2020s, with 2 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 4 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 57 Hawaii cities on this site, 40% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Kaunakakai. The highest rating among the 3 tornadoes within 25 miles is F0 or EF0, reached 3 times; the most recent, on September 23, 2008, came within 20 miles. Of the 57 Hawaii cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kaunakakai.
Compare Kaunakakai's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kaunakakai
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LindaAug 23 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | DouglasJul 27 | 47 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | OliviaSep 12 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1983 | GilAug 3 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kaunakakai: 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 Kaunakakai
By decade
- 2000s2
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2008 | EF0 | 20 mi | 0.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2006 | F0 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F0 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 3 of 3, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kaunakakai
The Storm Prediction Center has no hail reports within 10 miles of Kaunakakai since 1955.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kaunakakai
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Molokai Airport, HI, 8 miles west of Kaunakakai at 443 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 79°F and 64°F. January is the wettest at 3.6 inches of precipitation on average and June and July the driest at 0.6 inches; the year adds up to 21.7 inches over 39 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from July to September. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 21.7 inches is more than at 9 of the 33 Hawaii stations used on this site (27%). Lanai City, 20 miles south, has its own station (Lanai Airport 656, HI): 15.9 inches a year, 5.8 less than here, and an August average high of 83°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79 | 64 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 79 | 65 | 2.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 79 | 66 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 81 | 67 | 1.5 | 3 |
| May | 83 | 69 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Jun | 85 | 72 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Jul | 86 | 73 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Aug | 87 | 73 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Sep | 87 | 73 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Oct | 86 | 71 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Nov | 83 | 70 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Dec | 80 | 67 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Year | 83 | 69 | 21.7 | 39 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Molokai Airport, HI (443 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 Kaunakakai
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 37 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kaunakakai: 24 heavy rain events, 12 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $20,000 in property and crop damage. January has had the most flash floods, 3 of 12. Of the 51 Hawaii cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 9 have had fewer than Kaunakakai.
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 Kaunakakai's ZIP code 96748 have filed 45 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $337,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from 2026-03-KonaStorm in 2026: 14 claims (31% of all) and $182,000. 33% 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, 16 have fewer than Kaunakakai.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-KonaStorm2026 | 14 | $182,000 |
Maui County, which includes Kaunakakai, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 fires, 7 hurricanes, 5 floods, 5 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Lala, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Maui County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding and lightning; 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 $132.2 million a year, the 3rd highest of 5 Hawaii counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $59.4 million (45%), 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 Kaunakakai
- Lanai City, HI20 mi
- Lahaina, HI25 mi
- Wailuku, HI34 mi
- Kahului, HI36 mi
- Paia, HI41 mi
- Kihei, HI41 mi
- Makawao, HI45 mi
- Haiku, HI48 mi
- Kula, HI49 mi
- Waimanalo, HI50 mi
- Kailua, HI53 mi
- Kaneohe Bay, HI55 mi
All Hawaii cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Kaunakakai with another place →