The biggest hurricanes and tropical storms to threaten Hawaii in the last 10 years
THE TAKEAWAY
HAWAII – As thousands of residents in Hawaii brace for the impacts of Tropical Storm Lala this weekend, a Hurricane Watch is in effect for the island as the storm inches closer.
While Tropical Storm Lala continues to develop in the Pacific Ocean, it is expected to bring life-threatening flooding and towering waves up to 30 feet.
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In light of the impending weather threat, let's take a look back at some of the most recent hurricanes and tropical storms that have slammed the island over the last 10 years.
The last hurricane to strike the Hawaiian Islands was Hone, which developed as a tropical storm on Aug. 22, 2024, in the Central North Pacific basin.
Hone intensified into a Category 1 hurricane before passing to the south of the Hawaiian Islands on Aug. 25, impacting the state with dangerous surf, rip currents and heavy rainfall.
The storm was reclassified as a tropical storm after it passed by Hawaii, packing wind gusts up to 70 mph, more than 27 inches of rain over three days, and causing rivers to overflow and heavy flooding throughout the island.
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Hurricane Linda was a major hurricane that formed on Aug. 10, 2021, peaking as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph.
Despite this, Linda never made landfall, and the remnants of the storm passed near the Hawaiian Islands after weakening.
In July 2020, the Eastern Pacific experienced its first major hurricane of the year as Douglas intensified to Category 4 strength before it made landfall.
Thankfully, the storm passed about 30 miles north of Kahuku on July 28, 2020.
Tropical Storm Ema was a short-lived cyclone that formed on Oct. 12, 2019, marking the very end of hurricane season.
Warm ocean waters and light-to-moderate vertical wind shear helped Ema rapidly organize.
Due to the cyclone's short lifespan, it eventually became a post-tropical remnant low by the next day.
There were no reports of damage or casualties associated with this storm, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Hurricane Flossie was a Category 1 hurricane that later weakened to a tropical storm and passed near the Hawaiian Islands.
This event stretched from July 28 to Aug. 5, 2019, as thunderstorms initially became more persistent and better organized, helping fuel the formation of this storm.
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The storm was initially a cyclone, then strengthened into a tropical storm on July 29, and became a hurricane the next day.
Hurricane Flossie produced heavy rain across the Hawaiian Islands, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.
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The storm system began to develop on Sept. 28 and dwindled on Oct. 6, 2018.
Around Oct. 3, Hurricane Walaka passed by the Hawaiian Islands, resulting in strong ocean surges and coastal flooding.
The hurricane washed away an 11-acre strip of land called the East Island, consisting of sand and gravel, as the ocean has since claimed the landscape, leaving it completely submerged.
Olivia started to kick off on Sept. 1 and ended on Sept. 14, 2018, as a Category 4 storm with max wind speeds as strong as 115 knots.
This was the first-ever landfall recorded on the islands of Maui and Lanai. Only minor damage was reported.
Tropical Storm Howard formed on July 31 and lasted through Aug. 3, 2016, and was fairly anticipated by forecasters, as it had a low probability of formation in the days leading up to the event.
Eventually, an area of low pressure formed a few days sooner than expected, raising the probability to medium before the tropical cyclone formed.
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Leading up to this, no coastal watches or warnings were issued due to weak conditions, including max wind speeds of up to 50 knots.
The storm eventually weakened by Aug. 4, and passed through the island of Oahu on Aug. 7. There were no reports of damage from the event.
Darby’s turmoil occurred from July 11 to July 26, 2016, as the storm brought torrential rain and gusty winds to Hawaii.
The rare landfalling tropical cyclone produced nearly a foot of rain in higher elevations of Hawaii, resulting in flash flooding.
There were no reported fatalities on the islands, and most impacts were considered to be minimal.
Celia began development on July 6 and weakened by July 21, 2016, as it became a tropical storm.
During the early stages, it reached wind speeds of up to 45 mph before transitioning into Hurricane Celia.
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Conditions would eventually weaken back to tropical storm status by July 14, as forecasters observed rainfall rates of up to 6.4 inches per hour on the northeastern side of Celia's center of circulation.
By the time the storm passed through the Hawaiian Islands, it produced rainfall totals of 1 to 2.5 inches across portions of the state.
Wind speeds would increase to 67 mph as Celia maintained a small area of deep convection, producing waves as high as 10 feet that would crash along the state's shores.
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There were two direct deaths associated with Celia, but no reports of damage, according to the NWS.
The swells produced by this storm caused two people to die from drowning on the southeastern shore of Oahu on July 16.
On Aug. 4, 2014, members of the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported that Hurricane Iselle had reached Category 4 status with sustained winds of 140 mph.
An image shared by officials shows a nearly cloud-free eye at the center of a symmetrical storm as the hurricane swirled.
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As a result, Hurricane Iselle made direct landfall on the Big Island, as hundreds of downed trees, power lines and other damage littered the island.