NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Naalehu, 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 Naalehu, Hawaii since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hone in 2024. Since 1950, 1 tornado has touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 3
- 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 Naalehu
The strongest storm to pass near Naalehu was Hone in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Naalehu begins with Dalilia in 1989; the most recent system was Hone in 2024. The busiest decade was the 2010s, with 2 systems. 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 Naalehu. The only tornado within 25 miles was an F0 on February 28, 2004; its path came within 9 miles. Of the 57 Hawaii cities, 81% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Naalehu.
Compare Naalehu's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Naalehu
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HoneAug 25 | 61 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | DarbyJul 24 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2014 | IselleAug 8 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | DaliliaJul 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Naalehu: 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 Naalehu
By decade
- 2000s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2004 | F0 | 9 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 1 of 1, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Naalehu
The Storm Prediction Center has no hail reports within 10 miles of Naalehu since 1955.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Naalehu
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sea Mountain 12.15, HI, 5 miles east of Naalehu at 80 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 79°F and 65°F. October is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 0.8 inches; the year adds up to 35.2 inches over 45 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 35.2 inches is more than at 16 of the 33 Hawaii stations used on this site (48%). Ocean View, 11 miles west, has its own station (S Kona 2 2.32, HI): 21.3 inches a year, 13.9 less than here, and an August average high of 79°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79 | 65 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 80 | 65 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Mar | 80 | 66 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 80 | 67 | 1.9 | 4 |
| May | 82 | 68 | 1.4 | 3 |
| Jun | 83 | 70 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Jul | 84 | 70 | 1.9 | 3 |
| Aug | 85 | 71 | 2.9 | 3 |
| Sep | 84 | 70 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Oct | 84 | 70 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 82 | 69 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 81 | 67 | 4.0 | 4 |
| Year | 82 | 68 | 35.2 | 45 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sea Mountain 12.15, HI (80 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 Naalehu
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 31 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Naalehu: 21 flash floods, 7 heavy rain events and 3 floods. December has had the most flash floods, 4 of 21. Of the 51 Hawaii cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Naalehu.
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
Hawaii County, which includes Naalehu, 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 Naalehu
- Ocean View, HI11 mi
- Holualoa, HI23 mi
- Captain Cook, HI24 mi
- Volcano, HI34 mi
- Kealakekua, HI36 mi
- Mountain View, HI42 mi
- Kurtistown, HI46 mi
- Kailua Kona, HI47 mi
- Pahoa, HI51 mi
- Keaau, HI52 mi
- Hilo, HI52 mi
- Waikoloa, HI59 mi
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