Drought in Hawaii, December 1 to 31, 1999

Wet weather was prevalent over much of the Aloha State in December as two upper-air lows affected the region. However, parts of southern and western areas of the island of Hawaii remained dry through the month and are still in drought conditions.Island of HawaiiDespite heavy rains on the windward side of the isle, leeward areas were relatively dry. Gages in Kona and leeward Kohala were mostly within the 30 to 60 percent of average range for the month.For the year, 3 out of 17 available gages reported 1999 rainfall above average (Mt. View, 106 percent; Glenwood, 121 percent; and Kamuela Upper, 104 percent). Just seven miles away from Kamuela Upper is the gage at Kamakoa, the driest site for 1999 at 3.90 inches, or 23 percent of average. The remaining windward gages were mainly in the 75 to 100 percent of average range. Gages in the Kau District were mostly in the 40 to 60 percent of average range for the year.The following list contains rainfall statistics for selected locations from the island of Hawaii. The first column is the observed rainfall for December. The second column is the 30-year average for that location, while the third column lists the percent of average rainfall for the month. The fourth and fifth columns are the year-to-date total and the percent of average, respectively. YTD Dec 99 Avg. %Avg. YTD %Avg.Island of Hawaii Hilo Airport 14.41 12.00 120 116.77 90 Pahala 10.21 5.40 189 28.39 52 Honaunau 1.24 3.10 40 32.30 50 Kamuela (Upper) 4.14 6.00 69 60.05 104 Glenwood 29.72 17.20 173 200.41 121 Laupahoehoe 16.16 14.80 109 107.70 72 Kamakoa 0.70 2.10 33 3.90 23 Kapapala 15.28 7.70 198 38.25 57Many farmers, ranchers, and residents remained water-starved through December. However,state agricultural officials have not put a dollar amount on the drought's effects on Hawaii's farms and ranches, said Donald Martin, state agricultural statistician. Even if they tried, the true costs will continue long after the drought ends, he said. "We may have ample rainfall next year, but smaller herds and crops means we'll still be feeling the effects many years down the road," Martin said.Although Kau gages, as noted above, showed rainfall in the 40 to 60 percent of average range for the year; no rain gages are present in the area hardest hit in Kau. Two subdivisions near the southern point of the island, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates and the nearby Hawaiian Ranchos, have not had significant rainfall for three years, said Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Harry Kim. Because those subdivisions lack county water, their residents must pay to have water trucked in or take containers to a county spigot miles away for daily living requirements. He said with drinking and cooking the top priorities, for most residents in the area a car wash is but a distant memory.