Heavy Rain in Hawaii, November 28, 2003

Name: Heavy Rain in Hawaii, November 28, 2003
Start: 2003-11-28T15:25
End: 2003-11-28T21:10
Location: Hawaii

November 28, 2003 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rain and showers caused ponding of roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding in windward and eastern parts of Maui. 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.

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Wind
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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 rain and showers caused ponding of roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding in windward and eastern parts of Maui. 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 Nov 28, 10:40 AM HST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 28, 10:40 AM HST, 4 hours 45 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1040 AM HST FRI NOV 28 2003

.SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTH WILL PUSH A SHEARLINE THROUGH
THE STATE LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...BRINGING A BOUT OF SHOWERY
WEATHER AND STRONGER TRADE WINDS. DRIER CONDITIONS WILL RETURN
SUNDAY...WITH MODERATE TRADE WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE REST OF THE
SEVEN DAY FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.DISCUSSION...24 HOUR SURFACE PRESSURE RISES OF NEAR 5 MB ARE A
SURE SIGN THAT TRADES ARE GETTING READY TO MAKE THEIR RETURN.
CUMULUS MOTION...WHICH WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST YESTERDAY...IS NOW
FROM THE SOUTHEAST. RADAR AND RAIN GAUGE REPORTS SHOW THAT SHOWERS
ARE RATHER SCANT...AND HAVE LOWERED THE POPS A BIT FOR SOME OF THE
WINDWARD SLOPES. WINDS ARE STILL LIGHT ENOUGH FOR SOME AFTERNOON
BUILDUPS OVER THE LEEWARD SECTIONS...BUT EXPECT LITTLE IF ANY SHOWER
ACTIVITY THERE EXCEPT OVER THE LEEWARD SLOPES.

REST OF THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN THE SAME AT THIS POINT...THE NEXT
WEATHER MAKER WILL BE THE COLD FRONT LOCATED ABOUT 225 NM TO OUR
NORTHEAST. THE MODELS SHOW THIS FEATURE SLOWLY DRIFTING SOUTHWEST
TOWARD OUR REGION TONIGHT AND CROSSING THE ISLANDS ON SATURDAY.
MODELS SHOW MAXIMUM VERTICAL MOTION AND DEEPEST MOISTURE PUSHING
THROUGH AROUND 00Z...WHICH IS NEAR THE AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE MINIMUM.
IN ANY CASE...EXPECT A WETTER THAN USUAL DAY TOMORROW AS THE GUSTY
TRADES RETURN. THE TRADES ARE THEN EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH THE REST
OF THE 7 DAY FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.MARINE...SURF OBSERVATIONS SO FAR THIS MORNING CONFIRM THAT THE
NORTHERLY SWELL HAS REACHED THE ISLANDS AS EXPECTED. THIS SWELL
WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE ADVISORY LEVEL SURF FOR NORTH FACING
SHORES. THE SWELL HAS ENOUGH OF A NORTHEASTERLY COMPONENT TO AFFECT
EAST FACING SHORES AS WELL...SO WE HAVE HOISTED ADVISORIES THERE
TOO. WILL CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE NEED FOR HIGH SURF WARNINGS IN THE
AFTERNOON PACKAGE FOR EAST FACING SHORES ON SATURDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR N AND E FACING SHORES.

&&

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, Maui

When: November 28, 3:25 PM HST to 9:10 PM HST
Where: Maui County, Keanae
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 20.868, -156.617 (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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, November 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: 5327889.