Tornado and Flash Flooding in Hawaii, December 11 to 14, 2008

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Hawaii, December 11 to 14, 2008
Start: 2008-12-11T00:21
End: 2008-12-14T06:10
Location: Hawaii

December 11 to 14, 2008 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 4 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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.

A surface low northwest of the Garden Island of Kauai, a surface front, and an upper air trough generated heavy showers and thunderstorms over most of the Aloha State. Several schools were closed, and many roadways became impassable because of high water and debris. Damages were extensive to homes and other structures, and to agriculture. The cost estimate for the losses was $50 million. There were no serious injuries, though a teenage boy suffered a leg cut before being rescued from flood waters near Waianae on Oahu.

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 10, 8:33 PM HST, 3 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 10, 8:33 PM HST, 3 hours 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
833 PM HST WED DEC 10 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG KONA LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NORTHWEST OF THE STATE
TONIGHT AND REMAIN IN PLACE ON THURSDAY. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS
WILL BUFFET KAUAI AND OAHU THROUGH THURSDAY. THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE OVER KAUAI TONIGHT...THEN SPREAD OVER OAHU
THURSDAY MORNING. THE LOW WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE ISLANDS FRIDAY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH WINDS DECREASING THURSDAY EVENING. A VERY
MOIST AIRMASS WILL PERSIST OVER THE ISLANDS INTO NEXT WEEK...LEADING
TO SHOWERY AND UNSETTLED WEATHER.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
SOUTHERLY WINDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE TONIGHT AS A KONA LOW
DEVELOPS 650 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI. RADAR DERIVED WINDS OVER
KAUAI SHOW WIND SPEEDS APPROACHING 50 MPH AT 1000 FEET ABOVE THE
SURFACE. GUSTS AT LIHUE AIRPORT...KEKAHA...AND MOLOAA DAIRY
REACHED 30 MPH AT 7 PM. WINDS ACROSS THE STATE WILL INCREASE
TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. A WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IN
EFFECT ACROSS THE BIG ISLAND AND HALEAKALA SUMMITS AND OVER
NIIHAU...KAUAI AND MOST OF OAHU.

FAST MOVING SHOWERS HAVE BUFFETED KAUAI THIS EVENING AND
CONDITIONS WILL WORSEN AS THE NIGHT GOES ON. AS OF 745 PM...THE
LEADING EDGE OF A RAINBAND ASSOCIATED WITH THE KONA LOW IS 100
MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI AND IS MOVING EASTWARD AT 30 MPH. THE
RAINBAND CONTAINS MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS WITH THUNDERSTORMS
EMBEDDED WITHIN THE SHOWERS. THE RAINBAND IS EXPECTED TO REACH
KAUAI BETWEEN 10 AND 11 PM INCREASING THE CHANCE OF FLASH FLOODING
AS WELL AS INTRODUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS INDUCED BY THE FAST MOVING THUNDERSTORMS.

THE RAINBAND IS EXPECTED TO SLOW SOMEWHAT IN ITS EASTWARD MOTION
TONIGHT
AND SHOULD REACH OAHU EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. THE MAIN THREAT
FOR HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING CONTINUES
ALL DAY FOR KAUAI AND OAHU. GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE AS THE
KONA LOW REMAINS TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE STATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS
WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL BE OVER
MAUI COUNTY AND BIG ISLAND...WITH CONDITIONS WORSENING DURING THE
DAY OVER WESTERN MAUI COUNTY.

FOR THURSDAY NIGHT...THE KONA LOW BEGINS TO PULL NORTH AND THE WINDS
EASE OFF. THE THREAT OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS CONTINUES OVER THE SMALLER
ISLANDS AS AN UPPER TROUGH REMAINS WEST OF THE AREA...AND A
SURFACE TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE ISLANDS.

FOR FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...THE UPPER LOW CENTER LIFTS AWAY
FROM THE STATE ON FRIDAY...BUT AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS REMAINS
POSITIONED WEST OF THE ISLANDS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE GLOBAL
MODELS ARE HINTING AT A WEAK SURFACE LOW FORMING SOUTHWEST OF THE
ISLANDS AND THE LOW...ALONG WITH THE UPPER LEVEL INSTABILITY...WILL
LEAD TO A SHOWERY PATTERN STATEWIDE...WITH THE BEST CHANCE OVER
THE SMALLER ISLANDS. THE UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN REMAINS THROUGH
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE EXTENDED INTO THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY
IF THE MODELS PERSIST IN SHOWING A VERY MOIST...UNSTABLE...SOUTHERLY
FLOW OVER THE STATE.

&&

.MARINE...
GUSTY SOUTH WINDS INCREASING OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. THESE WINDS
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY PRODUCING STEEP...SHORT PERIOD WIND
WAVES. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED THROUGH
THURSDAY AS WELL AS EXPANDED IN THE 10 PM COASTAL WEATHER
FORECAST.

A MODERATE NORTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THURSDAY NIGHT
AND CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS UPCOMING SWELL WILL BE FROM
THE KONA LOW NORTHWEST OF KAUAI. SURF HEIGHTS MAY REACH ADVISORY
LEVELS ON FRIDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 6 AM HST THURSDAY THROUGH LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT FOR OAHU.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI-OAHU
NORTH SHORE-OAHU KOOLAU-OLOMANA-CENTRAL OAHU-WAIANAE MOUNTAINS.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM HST THURSDAY FOR HALEAKALA SUMMIT-BIG
ISLAND SUMMITS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST THURSDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST
WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-
OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS.

&&

MORRISON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy rain, 3 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When: December 11, 12:21 AM HST to 6:48 AM HST
Where: Kauai County, 1.14 mi WNW of Waimea Kauai to 2.65 mi NW of Anahola
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.974, -159.697

Flash Flood, Honolulu

When: December 11, 6:20 AM HST to 4:14 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 1.16 mi SSE of Kahuku to 1.91 mi NNW of Haleiwa
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 21.664, -157.945

Otake Camp near Waialua was evacuated because of flooding, the Makaha Bridge was blocked by debris, homes were inundated in Waianae and Laie, and farm produce was damaged in the affected area.

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: December 11, 9:11 AM HST to 5:29 PM HST
Where: Maui County, 0.85 mi W of Waihee to 1 mi W of Makawao
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.931, -156.533

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: December 11, 11:42 AM HST to 2:26 PM HST
Where: Maui County, 0.95 mi S of Cape Halawa to 0.6 mi E of Molokai Airport
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.156, -156.721

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: December 11, 1:38 PM HST to 9:54 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 1.76 mi NNW of Hawi to 3.57 mi WSW of Naalehu
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.253, -155.841

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: December 11, 10:36 PM HST to December 12, 1:15 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 2.77 mi N of Koele to 1.32 mi SE of Kaumalapau Harbor
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.870, -156.914

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: December 12, 5:26 PM HST to 9:15 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 1.62 mi NE of Haleiwa to 1.45 mi SW of Iroquois Point
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.596, -158.101

Flash Flood, Kauai

When: December 13, 2:36 AM HST to 7:36 PM HST
Where: Kauai County, 1.58 mi NW of Anahola to 0.76 mi N of Wailua Homesteads
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 22.135, -159.319

A home in Kapaa was flooded by heavy showers.

Tornado, Kauai

When: December 13, 12:50 PM HST to 1:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai County, 0.73 mi SW of Pakala Village to 0.2 mi ESE of Pakala Village
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.85 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 21.942, -159.658

A waterspout made landfall at Makaweli near Pakala on the island of Kauai. Circular crop damage occurred in a nearby sugarcane field.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kauai

When: December 13, 1:05 PM HST to 1:10 PM HST
Where: Kauai County, 0.35 mi WSW of Eleele
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 21.918, -159.585

Gusty winds from a thunderstorm downed trees along Awawa Road in Hanapepe Valley on the island of Kauai.

Flash Flood, Honolulu

When: December 13, 3:57 PM HST to 8:45 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 0.77 mi E of Haleiwa to 1.02 mi ESE of Haleiwa
Cause: Heavy Rain
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 21.579, -158.108

Flooding on Farrington Highway and on Waialua Beach Road in Waialua forced officials to close the roadways for a time. Rising water in Waianae trapped two teenage boys in a stream, but both were rescued. One boy suffered a cut on his leg and was taken to the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center for treatment. The news article did not mention the exact age of the injured boy.

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: December 13, 9:03 PM HST to December 14, 12:00 AM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 1.55 mi S of Hawaii Kai to 2.4 mi SE of Haleiwa
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.278, -157.696

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: December 14, 12:20 AM HST to 6:10 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 0.36 mi NE of Maunaloa to 1.51 mi SW of Palaau State Park
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.133, -157.216

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Hawaii, 2008 Warnings in Hawaii, December 2008

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: 144595, 144596, 144598, 144597, 144599, 144600, 144601, 144602, 144604, 144605, 144603, 145118, 145120.