Hawaii, 2002

Heavy Rain in Hawaii, May 21, 2002

May 21, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers and thunderstorms impacted windward locales in Kauai, causing minor stream and drainage ditch flooding. The rain also forced the closure of Kahuna Road near Kapaa for a couple of hours due to flooding.

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 and thunderstorms impacted windward locales in Kauai, causing minor stream and drainage ditch flooding. The rain also forced the closure of Kahuna Road near Kapaa for a couple of hours due to flooding. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 21, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST TUE MAY 21 2002

SUMMARY...A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE JUST NORTH OF THE HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS WILL MOVE OVER THE ISLANDS...RESULTING IN LIGHT AND VARIABLE
WINDS WITH CLEAR COOL NIGHTS...SUNNY MORNINGS AND CLOUDY AFTERNOONS
AND EVENINGS WITH A FEW SHOWERS.

DISCUSSION...OTHER THAN LINGERING CLOUDINESS OVER KAUAI...MOSTLY
CLEAR SKIES PREVAIL OVER OUR ISLANDS THIS MORNING. CLOUDS ARE
FORMING AT THIS HOUR ALONG THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES UNDER DAYTIME
INSOLATION. MOST OF THE ISLANDS SHOULD CLOUDY UP BY THE AFTERNOON
WITH A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE. A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IS STILL
ABOUT 300 MILES NORTH OF THE ISLAND AND WILL GRADUALLY MOVE OVER THE
ISLANDS IN THE COMING DAYS. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THIS RIDGE TO
THE ISLANDS SETS UP A LAND-SEA BREEZE TYPE WEATHER REGIME...WHICH
IS EXPECTED TO REIGN THROUGH THIS WEEK. LATEST FORECAST CHARTS SHOW
LITTLE CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS RUN. PREVIOUS PACKAGE COVERS THE
SCENARIO WELL SO NO UPDATES AT THIS POINT. HUI

.HFO...WARNINGS.....NONE
.      WATCHES......NONE
.      ADVISORIES...NONE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When
May 21, 1:15 PM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where
Kauai County, Anahola
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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: 5287879.