Hawaii, 2003

Heavy Rain in Hawaii, December 1, 2003

December 1, 2003 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms being generated by a passing cold front caused ponding of roadways, and minor stream and drainage ditch flooding on the island of Oahu. The heavy rains loosened large boulders and rocks that fell along a stretch of Kalanianaole Highway near Sea Life Park.

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 isolated thunderstorms being generated by a passing cold front caused ponding of roadways, and minor stream and drainage ditch flooding on the island of Oahu. The heavy rains loosened large boulders and rocks that fell along a stretch of Kalanianaole Highway near Sea Life Park. Sections of the highway were closed for about three and a half hours after two separate rockslides. 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 Dec 1, 5:00 AM HST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 5:00 AM HST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

A STRONG SUBTROPICAL LOW IS LOCATED ABOUT 290 NM TO THE NORTHWEST OF
WAKE...NEAR 23N 163E...MOVING TOWARD THE WEST SOUTHWEST AT 12 KT.
THE LOW IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...WITH A WIDE BAND
OF CONVERGENT SOUTHERLY INFLOW ON THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN
SEMICIRCLES. SATELLITE SHOWS THE RAGGED WESTERN EDGE OF A LARGE
SHIELD OF LAYERED CLOUDS AND ISOLATED EMBEDDED CB LURKING ABOUT 50
NM TO THE EAST. AS THE LOW CONTINUES HEADING GENERALLY TOWARD THE
WEST...THE DEEP MOISTURE WILL GET PULLED OVER THE ISLAND DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS. EXPECT HIGH CLOUDS TO LOWER AND THICKEN FROM THE EAST
THIS MORNING...FOLLOWED BY TIMES OF SHOWERS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
HEAVY SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE BY TONIGHT. SOUTH WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. A 9 TO 11 FOOT NORTHEAST SWELL IS EXPECTED
THROUGH THE PERIOD.

R BALLARD

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, Honolulu

When
December 1, 9:05 AM HST to 2:00 PM HST
Where
Honolulu County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (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, December 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: 5327898.