Drought in Hawaii, August 1 to 31, 2001

Island of OahuMost of the gages in the windward and upper slopes of the Koolau Range of Oahu recorded near average rainfall totals for August. While these areas enjoyed much needed rainfall, West Oahu remained very dry. The lowest total, 0.05 inches, was from the Honolulu International Airport gage; followed closely by the Kunia gage at 0.09 inches.Maui CountyAugust saw near to above average rainfall at most windward locations, while leeward areas were well below average. Noteworthy totals included 0.71 inches at Kahului Airport, an amount greater than the previous four months combined; and 0.05 inches at Kihei, which marked the first measurable rainfall at that locale in the last four months. Wetter than average conditions over Molokai helped stabilize the drought situation on that isle. However, much more rainfall is needed for a full recovery.Maui County continued to have just four sites above 50 percent of average for 2001 through the end of August. Remaining locations were mostly between 10 and 40 percent of average.Island of HawaiiMany windward locations and a few spots in Kona recorded near to above average totals for August. Leeward Kohala and Kau remained dry. After record-breaking floods in November 2000 and a wet February 2001, the Kau District has been on a steady drying trend with below average totals in the past six months.Rainfall totals for 2001 through the end of August were near to or just below average in Hilo and Puna locales. Remaining windward areas were in the range of 50 to 75 percent of average. Kona and Kau sites were between 40 and 60 percent of average.The following list contains rainfall statistics for selected locations from Oahu, Maui County, and the island of Hawaii where there have been drought conditions. The first column is the observed rainfall for August. 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 totals and the year-to-date percent of average, respectively. YTD August 01 Avg. %Avg. YTD %Avg.Oahu Honolulu Airport 0.05 0.40 13 3.15 26 Kunia 0.09 1.10 8 4.45 26 Waianae 0.18 0.70 26 4.02 33 Waialua 0.46 0.80 57 5.12 25Maui Kihei 0.05 0.20 25 0.64 6 Lahainaluna 0.00 0.60 0 1.23 9 Kula 0.38 1.90 20 6.49 31 Ulupalakua 0.36 1.60 22 8.40 36Molokai Kaunakakai 0.49 0.10 490 2.75 26 Kamalo 2.14 1.30 165 12.65 56Lanai Lanai City 1.49 1.50 99 10.55 42 Island of Hawaii Honaunau 4.43 6.50 68 24.01 52 Kamuela (Upper) 10.80 4.40 245 28.34 70 Waiaha 3.65 7.20 51 24.68 48 Kahua Ranch 1.14 6.10 19 11.49 21 Kealakekua 5.79 8.30 70 29.06 55 Pahala 0.39 3.30 12 18.03 49