Flash Flood in Hawaii, January 25 to 26, 2004

Name: Flash Flood in Hawaii, January 25 to 26, 2004
Start: 2004-01-25T16:30
End: 2004-01-26T00:30
Location: Hawaii

January 25 to 26, 2004 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers and thunderstorms flooded a section of Highway 19 (Mamalahoa Highway) from mile post 15 to 19. This effectively shut down the road between Kamuela and Honokaa for several hours.

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 flooded a section of Highway 19 (Mamalahoa Highway) from mile post 15 to 19. This effectively shut down the road between Kamuela and Honokaa for several hours. However, no serious property damage or injuries 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 Jan 25, 3:30 PM HST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 25, 3:30 PM HST, 1 hour before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE INDEPENDENT
STATE OF SAMOA

TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...
A CONVERGENCE ZONE IS NORTH OF AMERICAN SAMOA. A NORTHEAST TO
SOUTHWEST ORIENTED CLOUD BAND IS OVER SAVAII AND UPOLU. ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE BAND TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THESE ISLANDS. NO
MAJOR CHANGES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE AREA OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THE
MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT SHOWERS WILL REMAIN IN THE AREA. LOOK
FOR PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH SOME CLOUDY PERIODS. SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD.
EASTERLY WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS.

DECREASING NORTH NORTHWEST SWELL OF 4 FEET.

OUTLOOK FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
NO MAJOR CHANGES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE OUTLOOK PERIOD.

NARRATIVE DISCUSSION FOR TUVALU

TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...TUVALU TIME...
A WEAK CONVERGENCE ZONE OVER THE AREA IS PRODUCING SOME CLOUDS. NO
MAJOR CHANGES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. EAST WINDS AROUND
10 KNOTS.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Hawaii

When: January 25, 4:30 PM HST to January 26, 12:30 AM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 8 mi WSW of Honokaa
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, January 2004

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: 5432468.