Oʻahu hurricane season: what visitors should know

When the season runs and why a storm that stays offshore can still matter, from the state's emergency management agency.

By Chris Weaver, publisher · Visitor Guide

When

Hurricane season for Hawaiʻi runs from June through November, with the peak historically in August and September. Storms form off the west coast of Mexico and Central America and head west toward the islands. (Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane, checked Oct 2026)

Offshore storms still matter

The agency says even hurricanes that stay hundreds of miles offshore can have devastating impacts. The hazards include storm surge, flooding from extreme rain, destructive winds, tornadoes, dangerous rip currents and rough surf. (Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane, checked Oct 2026)

In 2018, Hurricane Lane caused severe flash flooding and landslides on Hawaiʻi Island while 140 miles away, without making landfall. (Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane, checked Oct 2026)

In August 2026, Hurricane Lala passed south of the islands from Aug. 14 to 16, bringing widespread flooding and power outages, the tourism authority reported. (Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, August 2026 Hawaiʻi Hotel Performance Report, checked Oct 2026)

Current alerts

The box below reads the National Weather Service's active alerts for Hawaiʻi when the page loads. The Ledger's storm page tracks named storms. (National Weather Service, Honolulu, checked Oct 2026)

The Ledger's storm page

The Visitor Guide is separate from the Ledger's news coverage. Every fact on these pages was checked against the official source named beside it in October 2026; the source's page governs if it has changed since. Anything we could not verify was left out. Found something wrong? Tell us; corrections go up the same day.