Hawaii, 2003

Heavy Rain in Hawaii, April 9, 2003

April 9, 2003 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers over the lower mountain slopes and along coastal areas of leeward parts of the Big Island, in the North Kona District, caused ponding of roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 over the lower mountain slopes and along coastal areas of leeward parts of the Big Island, in the North Kona District, caused ponding of roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding. 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 Apr 9, 4:00 PM HST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 9, 4:00 PM HST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 PM HST WED APR 9 2003

SUMMARY...TOMORROWS SKIES SHOULD BE SUNNIER WITH SHOWERS STILL
SPOTTY. WINDIER WITH INCREASING SHOWERS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

DISCUSSION...THE PASSING OF THE HIGH LEVEL TROUGH THROUGH THE
ISLANDS SHOULD CLEAR MOST OF THE SUNBLOCKING CIRRUS TOMORROW.
THE SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE TO RESIDE OVER THE
ISLANDS UNTIL THE WEEK END. IT MAY PROMPT SOME SHOWERS FROM THE
INCOMING MOISTURE BUT DO TO THE SPOTTY UPSTREAM CLOUD FIELD..SHOWER
ACTIVITY SHOULD ALSO BE SPOTTY LEAVING MOST AREAS DRY. THE WEAK
SHEARLINE NORTH OF KAUAI IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE FRIDAY AND INTRODUCE
A FEW WINDWARD FAVORING SHOWERS..AS WELL AS BOOST TRADE WINDS TO
STRONG LEVELS. THE FOLLOWING HIGH CELL APPEARS STRONG ENOUGH TO PUSH
THE SHEARLINE THROUGH THE STATE WITH CLEARING SUNDAY AS INDICATED BY
BOTH THE GFS AND NOGAPS MODELS.  MATSUDA

.HFO...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, Hawaii

When
April 9, 6:15 PM HST to 9:00 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, Kailua Kona
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
19.602, -155.523 (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 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, April 2003

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: 5327473.