Flash Flood in Hawaii, October 24, 2001

Name: Flash Flood in Hawaii, October 24, 2001
Start: 2001-10-24T17:00
End: 2001-10-24T23:40
Location: Hawaii

October 24, 2001 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms and heavy showers dropped more than 12 inches of rain in upper Hilo. The drenching damaged a road, Akolea Place, with a cost estimate of repair at $30 thousand.

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: $30,000
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.

Thunderstorms and heavy showers dropped more than 12 inches of rain in upper Hilo. The drenching damaged a road, Akolea Place, with a cost estimate of repair at $30 thousand. The same road was being repaired because of damage it had sustained in a major flooding event last November 1-2. The islanders also contended with ponding of roadways and flooding of streams and drainage ditches. No injuries were reported, however.

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 Oct 24, 3:31 PM HST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 24, 3:31 PM HST, 1 hour 29 minutes before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE INDEPENDENT
STATE OF SAMOA

TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A BAND OF CLOUDS WITH WIDELY SCATTERED
EMBEDDED SHOWERS IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR SOUTHWEST. THIS
SOUTHEAST-NORTHWEST ALIGNED CLOUD BAND IS ABOUT 275 MILES WIDE. IT
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH YOUR ISLANDS TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.
SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE GRADUALLY FRIDAY. VARIABLE WINDS LESS
THAN 10 KNOTS TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. SOUTHEAST WINDS NEAR 10
EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. 3 TO 5 FT SOUTHWEST SWELL.

OUTLOOK FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

SOUTHEAST TRADE WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
EXPECT PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH ISOLATED TRADE SHOWERS. 4 TO 6 FT
SOUTHWEST SWELL.

NARRATIVE DISCUSSION FOR TUVALU

TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...TUVALU TIME...

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AN AREA OF CLOUDINESS WITH ISOLATED EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS JUST BEYOND 375 MILES EAST OF TUVALU. THIS AREA HAS
REMAINED NEARLY STATIONARY TODAY AND IS EXPECTED TO STAY EAST OF
YOUR ISLAND.  VERY FEW PATCHES OF LOW CLOUDS SURROUND YOUR
IMMEDIATE VICINITY. THUS EXPECT PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH POSSIBLY
AN ISOLATED SHOWER.  WINDS WILL REMAIN SOUTHEAST TONIGHT BUT TURN
EASTERLY LATE TOMORROW (FRIDAY). SPEEDS WILL BE GENERALLY 10 KTS OR
LESS BUT INCREASE TO 10 TO 15 KT SATURDAY.

The radar

The South Shore radar (PHWA), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Hawaii

When: October 24, 5:00 PM HST to 11:40 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, Hilo
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5271591.