Hawaii, 2006

Flash Flood in Hawaii, March 30, 2006

March 30, 2006 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers in western and southern areas of Oahu resulted in flash flooding conditions. Water became as deep as three feet in parts of Mapunapuna, and deep ponding occurred along sections of Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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 in western and southern areas of Oahu resulted in flash flooding conditions. Water became as deep as three feet in parts of Mapunapuna, and deep ponding occurred along sections of Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard. 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 Mar 30, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 30, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST THU MAR 30 2006

.SYNOPSIS...
CONDITIONS OVER THE STATE REMAIN MOIST AND UNSTABLE DUE TO THE
PERSISTENT PRESENCE OF AN UPPER LOW ABOUT 200 MILES WEST OF KAUAI.
THIS PATTERN HAS RESISTED MOVING OUT AND THEREFORE THE FORECAST OF
WET CONDITIONS CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY. TRADE WINDS MAY RETURN
AFTER THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A DEEP LAYER OF MOISTURE FROM NEAR THE EQUATORIAL AREA CONTINUES.
THIS UNSTABLE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND ADDITIONALLY A STRONG SHORT
WAVE AND DRY SLOT MOVING THROUGH THIS FLOW HAVE AIDED IN PRODUCING
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE KAUAI CHANNEL THIS MORNING.
THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCAL HEAVY PRECIPITATION MAY
DECREASE SOME FOR KAUAI FRIDAY BUT REMAINS FOR OAHU AND MAUI COUNTY.
THUS THE NEXT FORECAST PACKAGE WILL LIKELY EXTEND THE THREAT OF
THUNDERSTORMS INTO FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY AS WELL.

THE BIG ISLAND HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AS THE ISLAND HEATS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE BIG
ISLAND MAY HAVE A GREATER CHANCE OF OCCURRING LATE FRIDAY AND MAY
NEED TO BE ADJUSTED TO INCLUDE FRIDAY NIGHT.

MODELS ARE PREDICTING THE UPPER LOW TO DRIFT OVER KAUAI AND OAHU AND
WEAKEN BY SUNDAY MORNING BUT NOT DISAPPEAR ENTIRELY...CONSEQUENTLY
LEAVING A WEAK VERSION OF THE OMEGA BLOCK PATTERN THAT HAS PLAGUED
THE STATE IN PAST WEEKS. THE SURFACE TROUGH WILL ALSO SHIFT IN
TANDEM WITH THIS MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER LOW BUT WITH SOME INCREASING
INFLUENCE OF A STRENGTHENING SURFACE HIGH FAR TO THE NORTHEAST BY
MONDAY. THUS SOME INCREASE IN ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY IS IMPLIED.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH KAUAI OAHU AND ADJACENT WATERS TIL 2 PM
THURSDAY.
WINTER STORM WATCH FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL ISLANDS THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY.
&&

HOAG

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, Honolulu

When
March 30, 1:00 PM HST to 1:52 PM HST
Where
Honolulu County, Waianae
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
21.450, -158.183

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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2006

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: 5495615.