Alert archive / Hawaii / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Honolulu, HI

January 1, 2005Kauai County, Hawaii

NWS Honolulu, HI issued this flash flood warning at Jan 1, 2005, 11:15 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 1, 2005, 11:15 AM HST (21:15 UTC)
Expired
Jan 1, 2005, 2:15 PM 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 nearest sounding before it

Lihue, (PHLI), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 26 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lihue, at 12:00Z on 2005-01-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 180 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lihue, at 12:00Z on 2005-01-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 107 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
180 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
935 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
107 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
263 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000
WGHW50 PHFO 012118
FFWHFO
HIC007-020015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1115 AM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HONOLULU HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  THE ISLAND OF KAUAI

* UNTIL 215 PM HST

* AT 1115 AM HST...EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS 
  CONTINUED TO RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING. SEVERAL ROAD CLOSURES...
  AS WELL AS ROCKSLIDES AND MUDSLIDES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. ALTHOUGH 
  THE RAINS WERE DIMINISHING ON KAUAI...RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE TO 
  CAUSE FLASH FLOODING FOR AWHILE LONGER.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDED IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
  WAIMEA...WAILUA...LIHUE...KOLOA...KAPAA...KILAUEA... 
  KALAHEO...HANAPEPE...HANALEI...AND ANAHOLA.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF
STREAMS...HIGHWAYS...UNDERPASSES AND LOW LYING AREAS.

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. TURN AROUND...DON/T
DROWN.

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.

LAT...LON 2182 15983 2182 15925 2235 15931 2225 15977

$$
R BALLARD
3 follow-up statements
000
WGHW70 PHFO 012252
FFSHFO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1250 PM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

HIC007-010215-
KAUAI-
1250 PM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 215 PM HST FOR KAUAI...

AT 1245 PM HST...RADAR INDICATED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAD 
MOVED TO THE EAST OF KAUAI. HOWEVER...RUNOFF FROM EXCESSIVE RAINS 
MAY CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLOOD PROBLEMS IN SOME AREAS AWHILE LONGER.

A RAIN GAUGE AT ANAHOLA MEASURED 2.26 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE THREE 
HOUR PERIOD ENDING AT 11 AM. THIS BRINGS THE TWO DAY RAINFALL TOTAL 
AT ANAHOLA TO 9.27 INCHES.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING...ROAD CLOSURES...
AND ROCKSLIDES RELAYED TO US BY THE PUBLIC.  PLEASE REPORT FLASH 
FLOODING TO LOCAL POLICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE. 

NEVER DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. SEEK AN 
ALTERNATE ROUTE. MANY FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR BECAUSE MOTORISTS TRY TO 
CROSS FLOODED ROADS. TURN AROUND...DON/T DROWN. 

LAT...LON 2177 15986 2181 15908 2236 15927 2222 15992

$$
R BALLARD
000
WGHW70 PHFO 012255 CCA
FFSHFO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTED UGC CODING ONLY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1250 PM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

HIC007-020215-
KAUAI-
1250 PM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 215 PM HST FOR KAUAI...

AT 1245 PM HST...RADAR INDICATED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAD 
MOVED TO THE EAST OF KAUAI. HOWEVER...RUNOFF FROM EXCESSIVE RAINS 
MAY CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLOOD PROBLEMS IN SOME AREAS AWHILE LONGER.

A RAIN GAUGE AT ANAHOLA MEASURED 2.26 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE THREE 
HOUR PERIOD ENDING AT 11 AM. THIS BRINGS THE TWO DAY RAINFALL TOTAL 
AT ANAHOLA TO 9.27 INCHES.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING...ROAD CLOSURES...
AND ROCKSLIDES RELAYED TO US BY THE PUBLIC.  PLEASE REPORT FLASH 
FLOODING TO LOCAL POLICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE. 

NEVER DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. SEEK AN 
ALTERNATE ROUTE. MANY FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR BECAUSE MOTORISTS TRY TO 
CROSS FLOODED ROADS. TURN AROUND...DON/T DROWN. 

LAT...LON 2177 15986 2181 15908 2236 15927 2222 15992

$$
R BALLARD
000
WGHW70 PHFO 020015
FFSHFO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
215 PM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

HIC007-020030-
KAUAI-
215 PM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR KAUAI HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

AT 215 PM...LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CIVIL DEFENSE HAVE REPORTED THAT 
FLOODING CONDITIONS WERE IMPROVING ON KAUAI. ADDITIONAL HEAVY 
RAINFALL IS NOT ANTICIPATED...THOUGH RUNOFF FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS 
WILL STILL RESULT IN LOCALIZED AREAS OF PONDING IN POOR DRAINAGE 
AREAS. 

SOME ROADS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO BE DAMAGED BY THE FLOODING. PAY 
ATTENTION TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DO NOT 
DRIVE PAST BARRICADES.

LAT...LON 2177 15986 2181 15908 2236 15927 2222 15992

$$
R BALLARD

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 1, 9:03 AM HST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 9:03 AM HST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
903 AM HST SAT JAN 1 2005

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE ISLANDS IS EXPECTED TO REACH KAUAI THIS
EVENING...THEN WEAKENS AND ADVANCES ACROSS REST OF THE STATE THROUGH
SUNDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE
TO AFFECT KAUAI AND OAHU...SPREADING EAST TO MAUI COUNTY LATER
TODAY. DRIER AIR SPREADS OVER THE ISLANDS ON WEST WINDS AFTER THE
FRONT COMES THROUGH. A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IS STILL EXPECTED TO
REBUILD NORTH OF THE ISLANDS BY THE LATER PART OF NEXT WEEK...WITH
LIGHT TRADESS FINALLY RETURNING.

&&

.UPDATE...
HAVE UPDATED THE GRIDS TO REFLECT STRONGER WINDS AND GUSTS...
PARTICULARLY FOR KAUAI AND OAHU. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE
GRADIENT WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 KT. PHLI REPORTED A PEAK WIND
OF 41 KT...PROBABLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH
PASSED JUST OFFSHORE. WE HAVE ISSUED SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS AND
SHORT TERM FORECASTS ON THE LINE OF STORMS OVER AND NEAR KAUAI.

ALSO UPDATED THE GRIDS EARLIER TO REFLECT A BIT FASTER ONSET OF RAIN
ON OAHU. NO CHANGES TO THE REST OF THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME.
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FROM 4 AM FOLLOWS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
ONCE AGAIN THE COMPLEX SYSTEM OF FRONT AND WEAK LOWS WEST OF THE
ISLANDS IS MAKING THE FORECAST OVER OUR AREA DIFFICULT. NOT TOO SURE
IF THE FORECAST CHARTS GET THE TIMING RIGHT AS THE NEW SOLUTION ONCE
AGAIN DELAYED THE ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT WEST OF OUR AREA. ON THE
OTHER HAND...THE FORECAST SOLUTION IS NOT SHOWING ANYTHING THAT IS
REALLY OFF THE MARK. THUS HAVE ADJUSTED THE FORECAST PACKAGE
ACCORDINGLY AND SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT.

LOOKS LIKE KAUAI AND NIIHAU ARE STILL PRIME FOR FLOODING...AS WAVES
OF RAIN CLOUDS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS PASS THROUGH THE ISLANDS.
RAINFALL TOTALS HAVE NOT BEEN THAT SIGNIFICANT IN THE PAST 6
HOURS...THOUGH IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH TO RESULT IN FLOODING SINCE THE
GROUND IS ALREADY PRETTY SOAKED. OAHU...ON THE OTHER HAND...
CONTINUES TO BE PROBLEMATIC. WIDESPREAD RAIN HAS SO FAR ELUDED THE
ISLAND AND IT LOOKS LIKE SUCH TREND CONTINUES. DO BELIEVE
EVENTUALLY THE RAINBANDS THAT ARE AFFECTING KAUAI SHOULD SHIFT EAST
ENOUGH FOR OAHU TO HAVE ITS SHARE. QUESTION IS WHEN. THE FORECAST
CHARTS NOW SUGGEST IN THE AFTERNOON...WHICH IS REASONABLE. IN
FACT...RAIN BANDS MAY LINGER OVER THE CENTRAL ISLANDS TONIGHT...AS
THE FRONT WEST OF THE ISLANDS FINALLY ADVANCES TO KAUAI THIS
EVENING. LOOKS LIKE BY THEN MOST OF THE DYNAMICS WILL BE LIFTING
NORTH SO PRECIPITATION AMOUNT WILL BE LESS AS WELL AS DECREASING
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE
REST OF THE ISLAND CHAIN BY LATE SUNDAY AND THE ISLANDS WILL BE
UNDER A COOL NORTHWESTERLY FLOW AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LINGERS FAR
NORTH OF OUR AREA THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. FORECAST
CHARTS ARE AT LEAST CONSISTENT IN BRINGING A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE
NORTH OF THE ISLANDS BY LATER PART OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL RESULT IN
THE RETURN OF LIGHT TRADE WINDS.

&&

.MARINE...
THE NEXT LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL IS STILL EXPECTED ON SUNDAY...WITH
SURF RISING TO ADVISORY LEVELS...AND POSSIBLY WARNING LEVELS BY
MONDAY.

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH NIIHAU KAUAI AND OAHU TODAY.

&&

R BALLARD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 1, 10:21 AM HST, 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1021 AM HST SAT JAN 01 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0440 AM     FLOOD            WAILUA                  22.06N 159.34W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   PUBLIC

            NONO ROAD WAILUA HOUSE LOTS WASH WAS NEAR TO OVERFLOWING.

0535 AM     FLOOD            PORT ALLEN              21.90N 159.59W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LANDSLIDE HANAPEPE, HEAVY PONDING KOLOA RD. STREAM
            OVERFLOWING.

0615 AM     FLOOD            2 NE PORT ALLEN         21.92N 159.57W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   PUBLIC

            HANALEI BRIDGE CLOSED.

0758 AM     FLASH FLOOD      KALAHEO                 21.92N 159.53W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   NWS EMPLOYEE

            KALAHEO BRIDGE CLOSED, WATER, BOULDERS

0800 AM     FLOOD            LIHUE                   21.98N 159.35W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   PUBLIC

            FLOODING ON RICE STREET DOWNTOWN LIHUE, FLOWING WATER ONE
            FOOT DEEP.

0845 AM     HEAVY RAIN       4 E HANAPEPE            21.91N 159.52W
01/01/2005  0.00 INCH        KAUAI              HI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            4.10 INCHES IN 24 HOURS / 2.05 INCHES IN LAST 2 HOURS.

&&

MF
Local storm report, Jan 1, 10:48 AM HST, 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1048 AM HST SAT JAN 01 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0930 AM     FLASH FLOOD      2 SE LIHUE              21.95N 159.33W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NAWILIWILI MARIOTT HOTEL SIGNIFICANT MUDSLIDES.

0930 AM     FLASH FLOOD      2 NW WAILUA             22.08N 159.36W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   PUBLIC

            KAMALU ROAD UNPASSABLE

0932 AM     FLOOD            WAILUA                  22.06N 159.34W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   PUBLIC

            WAILUA RIVER RUNOFF, DEBRIS AT MOUTH OF RIVER, NOT
            FLOODED ACROSS THE BRIDGE

0940 AM     FLOOD            WAIMEA                  21.96N 159.68W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            KAUAI CD EVACUATING HOMES IN WAIMEA. DEBRIS ON ROADS AND
            WATER ENTERING SOME GARAGES.

0940 AM     FLOOD            LIHUE                   21.98N 159.35W
01/01/2005                   KAUAI              HI   PUBLIC

            PORTIONS OF KUHIO HWY FLOODED BETWEEN LIHUE AND WAIMEA

&&

MF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Honolulu, HI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 1, 5:20 AM HSTFlash Flood WarningHFOKauai3 hr
Jan 1, 8:18 AM HSTFlash Flood WarningHFOKauai3 hr
Jan 1, 8:35 AM HSTSpecial Marine WarningHFO55 min
Jan 1, 8:50 AM HSTSpecial Marine WarningHFO40 min
Jan 1, 9:30 AM HSTSpecial Marine WarningHFO90 min
Jan 1, 11:01 AM HSTSpecial Marine WarningHFO89 min
Jan 1, 12:30 PM HSTSpecial Marine WarningHFO60 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Hawaii, 2005Every flash flood warning in 2005

Sources

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