NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Hawaii Summary
From 1980–2024 (as of November 1, 2024), there have been 2 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Hawaii. These events included 1 tropical cyclone event and 1 wildfire event. The 1980–2023 annual average is 0.0 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2019–2023) is 0.2 events (CPI-adjusted).
| Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Flooding | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Freeze | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Severe Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tropical Cyclone | 1 | 0.0 | 50.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 55.0% |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0.0 | 50.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 45.0% |
| Winter Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| All Disasters | 2 | 0.0 | 100.0% | $10.0B-$20.0B | 100.0% |
| Drought | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Flooding | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Freeze | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Severe Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tropical Cyclone | 1 | 0.0 | 50.0% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 36.0% |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0.0 | 50.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 64.0% |
| Winter Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| All Disasters | 2 | 0.0 | 100.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 100.0% |
| Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 1 | 0.1 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 55.0% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 1 | 0.2 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 45.0% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 1 | 0.3 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 45.0% |
| Last Year (2023) | 1 | 1.0 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 45.0% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 2 | 0.0 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 100.0% |
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 1 | 0.1 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 36.0% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 1 | 0.2 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 64.0% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 1 | 0.3 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 64.0% |
| Last Year (2023) | 1 | 1.0 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 64.0% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 2 | 0.0 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 100.0% |
| Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-AUnadjusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hawaii Firestorm August 2023 | Wildfire | August 8, 2023 | August 8, 2023 | Devastating wildfires destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on Maui Island of Hawaii. Winds were enhanced from the strength and position of a high-pressure system located northwest of Hawaii, which helped to exacerbate the wildfire as it spread on the island of Maui. Hurricane Dora was also positioned south of Hawaii. This was the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in over a century. Thousands of homes, vehicles and businesses were destroyed. | $5.7 CI | 100 |
Hurricane Iniki September 1992 | Tropical Cyclone | September 11, 1992 | September 12, 1992 | Category 4 hurricane causes severe damage to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Hurricane Iniki is the costliest and deadliest hurricane to affect Hawaii since 1900. | $6.9 CI | 7 |
†Deaths associated with drought are the result of heat waves. (Not all droughts are accompanied by extreme heat waves.)
Flooding events (river basin or urban flooding from excessive rainfall) are separate from inland flood damage caused by tropical cyclone events.
*Statistics valid as of November 1, 2024
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73