Why Hawaii is facing an unprecedented hurricane season

# Overview Hawaii experienced an unusually active stretch of tropical cyclone threats in 2026. Three named hurricanes — Lala, Lowell and Nolo — have come unusually close to the islands. Meteorologists say the pattern is linked to an exceptionally strong El Niño that favored hurricane formation and altered steering winds in the eastern Pacific.

# What happened this season

# Why this pattern is unusual for Hawaii

# How rare are multiple close approaches? Close hurricane approaches to Hawaii are uncommon. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data cited by Phil Klotzbach, three hurricanes came within 100 miles of the islands in 1957. Two hurricanes came that close in 1959, 2014 and 2016. Meteorologist Michael Lowry noted that only six hurricanes historically have come within 50 miles of Hawaii, and none had done so in the same year. If Nolo were to come within 50 miles, 2026 would mark the first year with three hurricanes that close.

# Impacts and acute risks Even without a direct landfall, storms that pass near the islands can produce torrential rain, destructive mudslides and extreme surf. Much of the land targeted for the heaviest rain this season had already been saturated by earlier storms, raising the risk of repeated flooding and landslides. Local authorities declared emergencies during parts of the season and mobilized preparations for evacuation, flood response and infrastructure damage control.

# Wider seasonal context The eastern Pacific was unusually active while the Atlantic remained relatively quiet. This distribution of activity matches expectations during a strong El Niño, which tends to shift hurricane development eastward across the Pacific basin and suppress it over the Atlantic.

# Bottom line A rare combination of an intense El Niño and storm steering patterns produced multiple hurricanes that brushed Hawaii in 2026. Those close passages drove heavy rainfall, repeated flooding threats and mudslide risk in areas already impacted by earlier storms. Historical records show such clustering of threats is uncommon for the islands, which normally avoid frequent tropical cyclone impacts because of cooler waters and persistent wind shear.