Drought in Hawaii, April 1 to 30, 2001

Maui CountyMost of Maui County remained very dry through April, with the exception being portions of windward Maui (e.g., Haiku) where rainfall conditions were near normal. Eight gages (7 on Maui, 1 on Molokai) reported totals below 15 percent of average. Shower activity over central Molokai during the second half of the month helped stabilize agricultural reservoir levels, though much more was needed to bring conditions back to normal.Island of HawaiiDry weather persisted in leeward areas of the Big Island in April. Rainfall totals ranged from 40 to 60 percent of average in Kona to less than 35 percent of average in Kau and leeward Kohala.The following list contains rainfall statistics for selected locations from Maui County and the island of Hawaii where there have been drought conditions. The first column is the observed rainfall for April. The second column is the 30-year average for each location, while the third column lists the percent of average for the month. The fourth and fifth columns are the year-to-date total and percent of average, respectively. YTD April 01 Avg. %Avg. YTD %Avg.Maui Kihei 0.00 1.20 0 0.59 6 Lahainaluna 0.23 1.70 14 0.97 9 Kula 0.22 2.80 8 3.79 27 Ulupalakua 1.24 2.70 46 3.94 24Molokai Kaunakakai 0.13 1.20 11 1.39 16 Kamalo 1.45 3.30 44 6.37 39 Lanai Lanai City 1.18 3.50 34 3.75 22Island of Hawaii Honaunau 2.76 6.10 45 6.49 36 Kamuela (Upper) 2.38 6.90 34 9.37 37 Waiaha 3.39 6.40 53 5.66 29 Kahua Ranch 1.20 9.20 13 7.78 23 Kealakekua 3.04 6.20 49 7.15 36Drought conditions continue to affect parts of Maui County and the island of Hawaii, mainly leeward sections of the four isles. Farmers and ranchers have been suffering production losses into the millions of dollars. Some farmers have had to substantially reduce the amount of acreage where they can plant. Additionally, the costs of production are rising because farmers and ranchers are being forced to pay for water.