KinwarnHawaii tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 4 tornado warnings, 37 severe thunderstorm warnings and 327 flash flood warnings for Hawaii from 2016 to 2025, about 0.4, 3.7 and 33 a year. That ranks 50th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Kauai County had the most of any county: 3 tornado warnings.
Hawaii warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for Hawaii…
Hawaii counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kauai County | 3 | 12 | 83 | 6 |
| Maui County | 1 | 8 | 87 | 5 |
| Hawaii County | 0 | 13 | 61 | 8 |
| Honolulu County | 0 | 4 | 96 | 20 |
Hawaii warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
41 tornadoes have been recorded in Hawaii since 1950. March had the most (11).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| 2025 | 1 | 8 | 13 |
| 2024 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 2022 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| 2020 | 2 | 7 | 25 |
| 2019 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 2018 | 0 | 8 | 78 |
| 2017 | 0 | 5 | 31 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| 2014 | 0 | 1 | 38 |
| 2013 | 0 | 4 | 47 |
| 2012 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| 2011 | 0 | 3 | 41 |
| 2010 | 0 | 4 | 22 |
| 2009 | 0 | 2 | 28 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 35 |
What stands out in Hawaii
2020 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Hawaii since 2008, with 2 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2018, with 78.
Since 2008, 5 flash flood warnings for Hawaii were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
None of Hawaii’s severe thunderstorm warnings carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since it started in August 2021, so none of them set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
4 tornadoes in Hawaii since 1950 were rated F2 or EF2, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on March 18, 1982.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
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Hawaii tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does Hawaii get a year?
About 0.4 a year: the National Weather Service issued 4 tornado warnings for Hawaii from 2016 to 2025, 50th of 52 states and territories.
Which Hawaii county gets the most tornado warnings?
Kauai County has the most: 3 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Maui County with 1. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
When is tornado season in Hawaii?
March and February: 44% of the 41 tornadoes recorded in Hawaii since 1950 came in those two months.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Hawaii county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Hawaii data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “Hawaii tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/hawaii. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts