Alert archive / Hawaii / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Honolulu, HI

January 29, 2005Honolulu County, Hawaii

NWS Honolulu, HI issued this flash flood warning at Jan 29, 2005, 1:34 PM HST for Honolulu 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 29, 2005, 1:34 PM HST (23:34 UTC)
Expired
Jan 29, 2005, 4:30 PM HST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Honolulu, HI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Honolulu 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, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 170 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 2005-01-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 115 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 2005-01-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 72 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
115 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
855 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
72 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
79 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000
WGHW50 PHFO 292336
FFWHFO
HIC003-300230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
134 PM HST SAT JAN 29 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HONOLULU HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  THE ISLAND OF OAHU IN HONOLULU COUNTY

* UNTIL 430 PM HST

* AT 124 PM HST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A STORM OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WAIPIO...
  WAIPAHU...WAIMANALO...WAIANAE...PEARL CITY...NANAKULI...
  MAUNAWILI...MAKAKILO CITY...WAIKIKI...HONOLULU...HAWAII KAI... 
  FORT SHAFTER...EWA AND EWA BEACH...ALIAMANU...KULIOUOU...NIU   
  VALLEY...AIEA...HALAWA AND WAIMALU.

THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING REPLACES THE FLOOD ADVISORY THAT WAS IN
EFFECT.

RADAR INDICATES ANOTHER LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS MOVING OVER THE SOUTH 
AND WEST SIDES OF OAHU. THE GROUND IS SATURATED. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL 
WILL MAKE CONDITIONS RIPE FOR FLASH FLOODING.

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 2136 15763 2120 15760 2127 15815 2148 15824
      2142 15799 2136 15775

$$

TB
2 follow-up statements
000
WGHW70 PHFO 300014
FFSHFO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
211 PM HST SAT JAN 29 2005

HIC003-300230-
HONOLULU-
211 PM HST SAT JAN 29 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 430 PM HST FOR THE ISLAND OF
OAHU IN HONOLULU COUNTY...

AT 200 PM HST...VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS FALLING OVER MOST OF OAHU... 
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MAKAHA TO PUNALUU. THE GROUND IS SATURATED OVER 
MOST OF SOUTHERN OAHU. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL THROUGH 330 
PM. TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WAIMANALO...
WAIPIO...WAIPAHU...WAIANAE...PEARL CITY...NANAKULI...MAUNAWILI...
MAKAKILO CITY...ALIAMANU...AIEA...HALAWA...AINA HAINA AND HAWAII KAI.

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.

LAT...LON 2136 15763 2120 15760 2127 15815 2148 15824
      2142 15799 2136 15775

$$

TB
000
WGHW70 PHFO 300219
FFSHFO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
418 PM HST SAT JAN 29 2005

HIC003-300228-
HONOLULU-
418 PM HST SAT JAN 29 2005

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE ISLAND OF OAHU IN HONOLULU COUNTY 
IS CANCELLED...

HEAVY RAIN HAS EASED AND FLASH FLOODING IS NO LONGER EXPECTED.

LAT...LON 2136 15763 2120 15760 2127 15815 2148 15824
      2142 15799 2136 15775

$$

TB

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 29, 10:40 AM HST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 10:40 AM HST, 2 hours 54 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1040 AM HST SAT JAN 29 2005

.SYNOPSIS...
A SHEARLINE...THE TRAILING END OF A FRONTAL BAND...WILL STALL NEAR
KAUAI AND OAHU TODAY...BRINGING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO KAUAI TODAY.
CLOUDS AND SHOWERS FORMING AHEAD OF THE WEAKENING SHEAR LINE WILL
ALSO AFFECT OAHU AND WESTERN BIG ISLAND TODAY. FAIR WEATHER WILL
RETURN TOMORROW AS THE SHEARLINE WEAKENS AND MOVES NORTH. A FRONT
WILL BE NEAR THE ISLANDS BEGINNING TUESDAY...AND WILL BRING IN A
PERIOD OF UNSETTLED WEATHER. ALTHOUGH DETAILS REMAIN UNCLEAR...THERE
IS A POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MOST OF THE
UPCOMING WEEK.

&&
.UPDATE...
HAVE UPDATED FORECAST/GRIDS TO INCREASE CLOUDS AND POPS FROM OAHU
TO THE BIG ISLAND FOR TODAY...AND TO LOWER SLIGHTLY THE POPS ON
KAUAI.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A WEAKENING SHEAR LINE NEAR KAUAI AND OAHU IS LOSING ITS
CHARACTERISTICS AS AN IDENTIFIABLE FEATURE IN SATELLITE IMAGERY.
HOWEVER...LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE IS
PRODUCING LOTS OF CLOUDS...AND A FEW AREAS OF HEAVY SHOWERS ACROSS
THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS THIS MORNING. SOME WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARIES
INTERSECTING NEAR OAHU ARE/WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHOWERS THAT
HAVE FALLEN OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ISLAND...BRINGING RAINFALL
RATES AS HIGH AS ONE AND A HALF INCHES PER HOUR TO RAIN GAGES IN
HAWAII KAI WITHIN THE LAST HOUR. WIDESPREAD CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO
THE WEST OF THE BIG ISLAND APPEAR TO HAVE ORIGINATED FAR SOUTHEAST
OF THE ISLANDS SEVERAL DAYS AGO. GFS INDICATES THAT THE BULK OF THIS
MOISTURE WEST OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE...AT LEAST FOR
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. HOWEVER...HIGH LEVEL WINDS ARE CARRYING
SOME OF THIS CLOUDINESS..AND LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN FROM A MID-LEVEL
CLOUD DECK...EASTWARD OVER THE BIG ISLAND.

THE WEAKENING AND DIFFUSE CLOUD BAND MARKING THE SHEAR LINE NEAR
KAUAI WILL WEAKEN AND MOVE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS BY SUNDAY MORNING AS
WINDS OVER THE ISLANDS SHIFT TO SOUTHEAST ONCE AGAIN IN RESPONSE TO
A DEEP TROUGH ALOFT AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT/SHEAR LINE THAT
WILL BE MOVING TOWARDS THE ISLANDS FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE FRONT
WILL REACH KAUAI TUESDAY MORNING AND THEN THE FORECAST BEGINS TO GET
RATHER COMPLICATED. THE FRONT APPEARS MORE LIKE A SHEAR LINE AT THE
LATITUDE OF THE ISLANDS BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON...WITH THE ACTUAL
FRONTAL PASSING THE ISLANDS TO THE NORTH. HOWEVER...A SURFACE LOW IS
FORECAST TO FORM ALONG THE SHEAR LINE BOUNDARY NEAR...OR EVEN
SOUTHWEST OF...THE ISLANDS ON TUESDAY...AND THEN MOVE NORTHEAST
ACROSS THE ISLANDS...BRINGING BOUTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGH THURSDAY. THE CYCLOGENESIS NEAR THE ISLANDS ALONG A SURFACE
BOUNDARY SEEMS PLAUSIBLE AT THIS TIME...GIVEN THE FACT THAT GLOBAL
MODELS ARE DEVELOPING A SHARP MID LEVEL TROUGH NEAR THE ISLANDS.

AS IS USUALLY THE CASE WHEN VIEWING CYCLOGENESIS NEAR THE ISLANDS IN
THE 3 TO 5 DAY TIME PERIOD...SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ARE SEEN FROM
ONE MODEL RUN TO THE NEXT...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE
INTENSITY OR PLACEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW HAVING MAJOR IMPLICATIONS
FOR THE FORECAST. THEREFORE...UNDERSTAND THAT THE FORECAST FOR THE
UPCOMING WEEK CONTAINS A SOMEWHAT EXTENDED PERIOD OF UNSETTLED
WEATHER...BUT THE DETAILS ARE NOT CLEAR WHATSOEVER.

&&

.MARINE...
A NORTHWEST SWELL REACHED THE ISLANDS LAST EVENING AND WILL CONTINUE
TO PRODUCE SURF ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE SEE
HIGH SURF MESSAGES AND OAHU SURF FORECASTS FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING FOR MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA THROUGH TODAY.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...
KAUAI...OAHU AND MOLOKAI.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR WEST FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND.
&&

BIRCHARD

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.