1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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.
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 Mar 15, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour earlier.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST MON MAR 15 2004 .SYNOPSIS... HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A SHEARLINE NEAR THE BIG ISLAND WILL KEEP CONDITIONS UNSTABLE THERE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK. THE SMALLER ISLANDS WILL SEE DRY WEATHER AND BRISK TRADE WINDS. && .DISCUSSION... A SHEARLINE ORIENTED NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST OVER THE BIG ISLAND WILL TRIGGER HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL FAVOR THE WINDWARD OR HILO SIDE OF THE ISLAND BECAUSE OF THE PREVAILING NORTHEAST WINDS. THE LEEWARD OR KONA SIDE WILL FOLLOW A CONVECTIVE PATTERN WITH DAYTIME SEA BREEZES AND NIGHTTIME LAND BREEZES WITH SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY THUNDERSTORMS FORMING DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. FOR THE SMALLER ISLANDS...STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS WILL STACK UP OVER WINDWARD SECTIONS LEAVING LEEWARD SECTIONS UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. LITTLE OR NO SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED BECAUSE A LOW SUBSIDENCE INVERSION NEAR 5000 FEET. THE NORTHEAST WINDS WILL BE NOTICEABLY STRONGER OVER KAUAI AND OAHU BECAUSE OF A TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THEM AND A SURFACE HIGH TO THE NORTHWEST. PROGS SAY THAT A LOW NORTHEAST OF HAWAII WILL NOT MOVE MUCH THROUGH THURSDAY...ALLOWING THE SHEARLINE TO REMAIN ALMOST STATIONARY OVER OR JUST SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND. THE THREAT OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON THE BIG ISLAND WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BUT MAY HAVE TO BE ADDED TO THE THURSDAY FORECAST AS WELL. THE 1031 MB HIGH NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS HAS BEEN BLOCKED FROM MOVING EASTWARD BY THE LOW. THE STATIC PATTERN WILL CONTINUE UNTIL FRIDAY...WHEN THE LOW FINALLY LIFTS OUT TO THE NORTHEAST. THE HIGH WILL HAVE LIFTED NORTHWARD AS WELL...BUT MODELS SHOW AN ASSOCIATED RIDGE WILL FILL IN SOUTHEASTWARD BETWEEN THE LOW AND THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AS THE LOW MOVES AWAY. BECAUSE THE RETURNING RIDGE WILL ONLY BE AN EXTENSION OF A STRONG HIGH NORTH OF 40N...THE INDUCED TRADES WILL LIKELY BE NOT AS STRONG AS THEY SPREAD EASTWARD AS THEY ARE NOW. IN SUMMARY...THE FORECAST CALLS FOR CONTINUED BOUTS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE BIG ISLAND AT LEAST THROUGH MIDWEEK WHILE THE SMALLER ISLANDS WILL SEE DRIER AND WINDIER CONDITIONS. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH............ENTIRE BIG ISLAND FLASH FLOOD WARNING....HILO AND PUNA UNTIL 1 PM SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS CRAIG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy showers caused overflowing streams in and around Hilo town on the Big Island of Hawaii. Highway 19--Hawaii Belt Road--was closed for a time near Wainaku because of flooding waters. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2004
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: 5431279.