Historically speaking, hurricanes are unusual events in Hawaii — especially when compared to land masses near the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
In recent history, the 2018 hurricane season was fairly active. Lane, skirted around Hawaii and Tropical Storm Olivia actually made landfall in September 2018. In 2026, two hurricanes, Lala In August and Lowell in September came very close to the Hawaiian Islands and causing significant damage.
So, what should you know about hurricanes in Hawaii? Let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions.
Are hurricanes in Hawaii really rare? How many hurricanes have made landfall in Hawaii?
According to this recent article, Why are are Hawaiian Hurricanes so rare, only three hurricanes and two tropical storms have made landfall in Hawaii since records have been kept. Those tropical systems are:
- Unnamed hurricane in 1871
- Hurricane Dot in 1959
- Hurricane Iniki in 1992
- Tropical Storm Iselle in 2014
- Tropical Storm Olivia in 2018
So, since 1871 only three hurricanes and two tropical storms have hit landfall in Hawaii. That’s over a 150-year span with only five tropical systems making landfall. So, yes, tropical storms and hurricanes in Hawaii are rare events, indeed!
Even though very few hurricanes have made landfall, other tropical systems have skirted near the islands. When these major storms come near to the islands, the impacts can be heavy rainfall, flooding, high winds, and high surf. In recent years, Hurricane Lane (2018) and Hurricane Douglas (2020) came very close to the island but did not make landfall. In July 2023, Tropical Storm Calvin passed south of the Hawaiian Islands. In August 2026, Hurricane Lala came within less than 100 miles of Hawaii’s Big Island. Then, in September 2026, Hurricane Lowell came within 60 miles of Kauai resulting in widespread power outages, flooding, and other significant damages.
Why are hurricanes rare events in Hawaii?
Per the this article, there are a number of reasons why Hawaii tends to be safe from frequent hurricanes. We’ll quote a couple of the top points.
- The Pacific Ocean is big and Hawaii is small. Per the article, “The odds of a hurricane colliding with 10,931 square miles of islands in the 62.46 million-square-mile Pacific Ocean are pretty small.”
- “The major reason that Hawaii doesn’t normally get major hurricanes nearby is that there’s a strong subtropical high-pressure system that sits just to the north, and that acts to steer [storms] straight west”
When is hurricane season in Hawaii?
Hurricane season officially spans between June 1st and November 30th.
When are the most active months for hurricanes in Hawaii’s Pacific region?
Hawaii sits in the Central Pacific Basin. According to data collected by the Natonal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the years 1971 and 2013, the peak months for tropical storms in the Central Pacific have been July, August, and September. It’s important to note that the data relates to all hurricanes in the Central Pacific Basin as a whole. Only a very small fraction of those hurricanes came near Hawaii.
As I reviewed the chart I was really surprised to see the high number of storms in July in the Central Pacific Region. In the more than 20 years that I’ve been following Hawaii weather, I don’t recall any tropical storms threatening or coming near the Hawaiian Islands in July.
When are the least active months for hurricanes in Hawaii?
Referencing the same chart for the Central Pacific, note that through the official tropical storm season of June through November, the lowest number of storms have be recorded in the months of June and November. Storms in the month of October are quite low. Again, take note that these are the storms for the entire Central Pacific Region, which is quite vast.
Should I avoid planning a Hawaii vacation during hurricane season?
As we’ve already discussed, hurricanes are so rare in Hawaii, so the chance of you actually encountering one is unlikely. In our opinion, we wouldn’t hesitate to book a trip any time of year — even in the midst of hurricane season. In fact, over our many trips to Hawaii, we’ve have booked many of them in August, September, and October.
What should you do if a hurricane threatens your Hawaii vacation?
A good first step is to check the Hawaii Tourism Authority website for any special alerts. These alerts provide useful resources with weather information, closures, airline travel waivers and more.
Where is a good resource to find out if a hurricane is in the Hawaii forecast?
First, we recommend you check the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s webpage to see what’s on the horizon. In addition, here are some good, general Hawaii weather resources:
- Central Pacific Hurricane Center
- Local Hawaii news station KHON
- Local Hawaii news station KITV
- Local Hawaii news stations of KHNL and KGMB
Sheila Beal
