Alert archive / Hawaii / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 14, NWS Honolulu, HI

January 31, 2004Kauai County, Hawaii

NWS Honolulu, HI issued this flash flood warning at Jan 31, 2004, 2:47 AM HST for Kauai County, Hawaii. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jan 31, 2004, 2:47 AM HST (12:47 UTC)
Expired
Jan 31, 2004, 5:45 AM HST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Honolulu, HI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Kauai County, HI

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WGHW50 PHFO 311253
FFWHI 
HIZ004-311545-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
247 AM HST SAT JAN 31 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HONOLULU HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTH AND EAST HAWAII INCLUDING WINDWARD KOHALA HAMAKUA HILO AND
  PUNA

* UNTIL 545 AM HST

* AT 242 AM HST...RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTH AND EAST
  HAWAII...ESPECIALLY IN THE PUNA DISTRICT AND VOLCANOES NATIONAL 
  PARK...INCLUDING TOWNS NEAR PAHOA-KALAPANA ROAD AND WESTWARD TO 
  CHAIN OF CRATERS...ABOUT 21 MILES SOUTH OF HILO...MOVING WEST AT 
  5 MPH.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF STREAMS
AND COULD ALSO TRIGGER ROCK AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR FLOODING AND SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS FAST FLOWING OR RISING WATER. MANY FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR
WHEN MOTORISTS TRY CROSSING FLOODED ROADWAYS.

ESCAPE RISING WATER BY CLIMBING DIRECTLY TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER TRY
TO OUTRACE A FLOOD...EITHER ON FOOT OR IN YOUR VEHICLE. DO NOT CAMP
NEAR STREAMS OR OTHER AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION. REPORT FLOODING TO THE POLICE FOR
IMMEDIATE RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 1947 15505 1936 15504 1930 15519 1949 15525
$$
FARRELL

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jan 30, 8:30 PM HST, 6 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 8:30 PM HST, 6 hours 17 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST FRI JAN 30 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS WILL MAINTAIN
MODERATE TO FRESH LOW LEVEL WINDS OVER THE ISLANDS THROUGH THE
COMING WEEKEND. LOW PRESSURE ALOFT NEARBY TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE
BIG ISLAND WILL MAINTAIN AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE IN ITS VICINITY
THROUGH THIS PERIOD...PROMOTING HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER AND TO THE EAST OF THE BIG ISLAND. A WEAKENING OF THE
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE NEXT WEEK WILL WEAKEN TRADE WINDS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A 1030 MB SURFACE HIGH FAR NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS ALONG THE
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST AND WEAKEN OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS. A NEW HIGH WILL REPLACE THIS ONE ABOUT SUNDAY. THESE HIGHS AND
THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE EXTENDING WESTWARD FROM THEM WILL MAINTAIN
RATHER STRONG TRADE WINDS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A LOW ALOFT SOUTHEAST OF THE BIG ISLAND.
THIS LOW IS FORECAST TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH TUESDAY.
THE RELATIVELY COLD AIR ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL KEEP THE
ATMOSPHERE SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE OVER AND TO THE EAST OF THE BIG ISLAND
OF HAWAII. THE NORTH NORTHEAST WINDS ALOFT ALONG THE NORTHWEST SIDE
OF THE LOW AND OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WILL TEND TO DEEPEN
AND THUS ENHANCE OUR TRADE WINDS THROUGH MONDAY AT LEAST.

ISLAND WEATHER WILL BE DOMINATED BY NIGHT AND MORNING TRADE SHOWERS
MAINLY WINDWARD AND MAUKA...WITH PLENTY OF AFTERNOON SUNSHINE AT
LEEWARD AND TOWNSIDE BEACHES. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE HEAVIER SHOWERS
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER AND TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE
BIG ISLAND DUE TO THE INSTABILITY INTRODUCED BY THE UPPER LOW.

&&

.LONG TERM...EARLY NEXT WEEK...A TROUGH ALOFT AND AN ASSOCIATED
FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS...
WEAKENING THE SURFACE RIDGE. AT THE SAME TIME...THE LOW ALOFT
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS WILL WEAKEN AND MOVE OFF TO THE
NORTHEAST ON TUESDAY. THE RESULT WILL BE A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH
FORMING JUST WEST OF THE STATE...WEAKENING OF OUR TRADE WINDS AS
THEY VEER TO THE SOUTHEAST.

ISLAND WEATHER WILL BECOME MORE DIURNAL...WITH DRIER AND CLEARER
NIGHTS...WITH AFTERNOON CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS.

&&

.MARINE...
THE STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL REQUIRE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK. THEY ARE ALSO PRODUCING ROUGH SURF ALONG WINDWARD
SHORES SO A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST FACING
SHORES. A NEW NORTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH
BELOW ADVISORY LEVEL SURF ON NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES.

&&

.HNL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY ALONG EAST FACING SHORES.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS FOR STRONG TRADE WINDS.

FARRELL

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Hawaii, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.