| Event: | 2012 Hawaii Hailstorm |
| Location: | Oahu, Lanai |
| Tornadoes: | One |
| Fujitascale: | EF0 |
| Enhanced: | yes |
| Damages: | $25,000[1] |
| Partof: | tornado outbreaks in 2012 |
On the morning of March 9, 2012, a long-lived hailstorm hit the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Lanai. The hailstorm was produced by a supercell thunderstorm. This event produced the largest hailstone ever recorded in Hawaii since records began in 1950. The hailstone was measured at 4.25sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, 2.25sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall, and 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide.[2] National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Birchard stated that the event was "unprecedented."[3]
In addition to the spectacular early-morning lightning storms and flooding from the 4abbr=offNaNabbr=off of rainfall received, a tornadic waterspout formed off the coast of Oahu during the morning of March 9, 2012. Non-supercellular waterspouts are not uncommon (the State of Hawaii records an average of one waterspout/tornado per year), this mesocyclone-induced waterspout tracked inland for 1.5 miles, becoming an EF0 tornado that caused minor damage to the Enchanted Lakes subdivision of Kailua at 7:10 am Hawaiian-Aleutian Time.[4]
| List of reported tornadoes - Friday, March 9, 2012 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Comments/Damage | ||
| Hawaii | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | ESE of Kailua | Honolulu | 0910 | 1.5miles | Tornado started as a waterspout that moved ashore. Roofs were damaged, signs and power lines were knocked down, and trees were snapped. | |
| Sources: NWS Honolulu | |||||||