Flash Flood in Hawaii, June 5, 2001

Name: Flash Flood in Hawaii, June 5, 2001
Start: 2001-06-05T15:11
End: 2001-06-05T16:00
Location: Hawaii

June 5, 2001 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An upper air low north of the Hawaiian Islands generated heavy showers and thunderstorms from southeast Oahu to central parts of the isle. Several roadways flooded to depths of 2 to 3 feet.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.

An upper air low north of the Hawaiian Islands generated heavy showers and thunderstorms from southeast Oahu to central parts of the isle. Several roadways flooded to depths of 2 to 3 feet. Fast-moving water carried debris--mud and small rocks--onto a portion of the H-1 Freeway, closing two of three west-bound lanes for a few hours in the middle and later afternoon. High-velocity water flow caused similar problems in Makiki Heights, Nuuanu, and Pearl City, according to county civil defense officials.The heavy rains were likely a contributing factor in the death of a 50-year-old woman and the injury of a man in a collision between two vehicles on the H-2 Freeway near Mililani. The woman's car crossed a landscaped highway divider on the slick roadway and crashed into an oncoming van, injuring the male driver. The woman died at the scene.Along with flash-flood conditions, small hail was reported at sea level at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii near Kaneohe. Lastly, lightning strikes knocked out power for more than 3500 customers of Hawaiian Electric.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Jun 5, 1:00 PM HST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 5, 1:00 PM HST, 2 hours 11 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1 PM HST TUE JUN 05 2001

...UPDATED FOR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY MAUI COUNTY...

SUMMARY...MODERATE TRADES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE STATE DUE TO HIGH
PRESSURE FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS DUE TO AN UPPER LOW JUST
NORTHEAST OF OAHU.

DISCUSSION...EXPECT THE ISLANDS TO REMAIN WITHIN A BELT OF 10 TO 25
MPH TRADES THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. MODELS MOVE THE CENTER OF
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST...BUT THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE
ISLANDS CHANGES LITTLE THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. AN UPPER LOW
REMAINS OVER THE STATE WITH ITS CENTER JUST NORTHEAST OF OAHU.
MODELS KEEP IT NEARLY STATIONARY FOR 24 TO 48 HOURS BEFORE MOVING IT
OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST AND WEAKENING IT. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS BEEN
FEEDING INTO OUR AREA FROM THE EAST SUSTAINING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. THESE WILL OCCUR AS LONG AS THE CENTER OF THE UPPER
LOW IS OVER US FOR THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS FORMED OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS OF OAHU THIS
MORNING...BUT THESE ARE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ACROSS THE STATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH TOMORROW. POWELL

.PHFO......WARNINGS.....NONE
.          WATCHES......NONE
.          ADVISORIES...USSFA MAUI COUNTY

The radar

The Molokai radar (PHMO), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:06 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Honolulu

When: June 5, 3:11 PM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, Honolulu
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, June 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5251334.