Hawaii, 2002

Flash Flood in Hawaii, May 12, 2002

May 12, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers caused flash flooding and forced the closure of the Hanalei Bridge for almost two hours. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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.

Heavy showers caused flash flooding and forced the closure of the Hanalei Bridge for almost two hours. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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 May 12, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST SUN MAY 12 2002

SUMMARY...THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS MOIST AND UNSTABLE OVER KAUAI AND
OAHU. FLASH FLOODING AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR KAUAI
AND OAHU THROUGH TUESDAY. THE WEATHER WILL BE LESS ACTIVE OVER MAUI
COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND BUT HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE THERE AS WELL. DRIER WEATHER WILL RETURN BY WEDNESDAY.

DISCUSSION...A TROUGH ALOFT REMAINS NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS. A SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH RUNS
RIGHT OVER THE ISLANDS. THIS PATTERN HAS MADE THE ATMOSPHERE OVER
KAUAI AND OAHU VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE. OUR SATELLITE AND RADAR DATA
SHOW THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHWEST OF KAUAI MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST.
THE UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY. CONDITIONS
WILL STABILIZE TUESDAY EVENING AND DRIER WEATHER WILL RETURN ON
WEDNESDAY.

SURF ALONG THE SOUTH SHORES IS AT 6 TO 8 FEET WITH OCCASIONAL HIGHER
SETS. SURF WILL REMAIN AT THAT LEVEL THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. SURF
WILL START TO DECREASE MONDAY EVENING AND WILL PROBABLY DROP BELOW
ADVISORY CRITERIA BY TUESDAY NIGHT.
DONALDSON

.HFO...WARNINGS.....SPECIAL MARINE FOR KAUAI CHANNEL TILL 1030 AM HST
.      WATCHES......SEVERE THUNDERSTORM KAUAI AND OAHU
                    FLASH FLOOD KAUAI
.      ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF SOUTH SHORES

The radar

The South Kauai radar (PHKI), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Kauai

When
May 12, 12:15 PM HST to 2:00 PM HST
Where
Kauai County, Hanalei
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, May 2002

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: 5287873.