Are there hurricanes in hawaii?

The islands of Hawaii, with Kauai as the notable exception, appear to be remarkably immune from direct hurricane hits. The USGS states that "more commonly, near-misses that generate large swell and moderately high winds causing varying degrees of damage are the hallmark of hurricanes passing close to the islands." read more

A Hawaiian hurricane is a tropical cyclone that forms in the Pacific Ocean and affects the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii lies in the central Pacific, where about four or five tropical cyclones appear each year, although as many as fifteen have occurred, such as in the 2015 season; rarely do these storms actually affect Hawaii. Tropical cyclone records were not kept before the 1950s. Earlier windstorms that struck Hawaii were not labeled as hurricanes. read more

According to the National Hurricane Center, the greatest potential for loss of life during a hurricane is from a storm surge. A storm surge consists of water pushed towards a shoreline by the force of winds circulating around the storm. read more

Hawaii may be paradise, but like the Caribbean Sea, hurricanes and tropical storms are part of its history. On average, four to five tropical cyclones occur in the central Pacific Ocean basin (between 140-180 degrees west longitude) each year, according to Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center and former Hurricane Expert at The Weather Channel. read more