Hawaii, 2012Flash Flood in Hawaii, December 19, 2012
December 19, 2012 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Heavy showers fell over the windward side of the Big Island near Papaaloa, just to the southeast of Laupahoehoe. A motorist, a tourist from California, apparently tried to cross the swollen Pahale Stream and died after being swept away by the rapid current.
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- Deaths
- 1
- 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.
Heavy showers fell over the windward side of the Big Island near Papaaloa, just to the southeast of Laupahoehoe. A motorist, a tourist from California, apparently tried to cross the swollen Pahale Stream and died after being swept away by the rapid current. The vehicle he was driving was considerably damaged as well.
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 19, 8:30 PM HST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 19, 8:30 PM HST, 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST WED DEC 19 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
A BROAD HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM REMAINS TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS
AND KEEPING FRESH TRADES ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE
WEEK. PASSING SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA
AREAS...WITH SOME SHOWERS REACHING LEEWARD AREAS AT TIMES. SHOWER
ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE DURING THE WEEKEND...THEN INCREASE
AGAIN BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
MODEL GUIDANCE FOR THE SHORT TERM REMAINS VERY MUCH UNCHANGED WITH
A MODEST DRIER TREND BRINGING LESS SHOWER ACTIVITY THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. BUT SAT AND RADAR DATA STILL SHOW PASSING SHOWERS AFFECTING
MUCH OF WINDWARD AREAS...ESPECIALLY AROUND EASTERN PORTIONS OF MAUI
AND THE BIG ISLAND. THESE SHOWERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A CLOUD BAND
MOVING ACROSS THE ISLANDS FROM EAST TO WEST...RIDING ALONG THE
TRADES. RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS TONIGHT
WITH SOME SHOWERS PUSHING INTO LEEWARD AREAS AT TIMES. POPS FOR
WINDWARD SLOPES REMAIN VERY HIGH THROUGH FRI MORNING. ALSO...NEAR
FREEZING TEMPS AND SATURATED CONDITIONS OVER THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS
WILL ALLOW FOR SOME WINTRY MIX TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS...SO THE FORECAST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CARRY A CHANCE OF RAIN
MIXED WITH SNOW AROUND THE SUMMITS.
LATEST WV/PWAT/RH DATA CONTINUE TO SUGGEST A DRIER AIRMASS
UPSTREAM...WITH POPS STARTING TO DECREASE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THEN FOR NEXT WEEK...GFS REMAINS AS THE MORE
AGGRESSIVE SOLUTION FOR THE HOLIDAY WEATHER FORECAST. HOWEVER...
LATEST RUNS INDICATE A TREND TOWARDS A LITTLE BETTER CONSENSUS WITH
THE REST OF GUIDANCE. THE FORECAST SO FAR HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE ECMWF SOLUTION...AND THERE IS NO COMPELLING
EVIDENCE FOR DEVIATING FROM THAT FORECAST PHILOSOPHY ATTM.
THEREFORE...EXPECT LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...THEN
INCREASING TO FRESH TRADES BY TUE/WED. LOW LVL MOISTURE ALSO
INCREASES WITH SHOWERS BECOMING MORE ACTIVE FOR THE HOLIDAY...BUT
STILL WITH OVERALL CONDITIONS REMAINING DRIER THAN THE GFS SOLUTION
SUGGESTS.
&&
.MARINE...
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COASTAL WATERS DUE
TO FRESH TRADES AND COMBINED SEAS. SIMILARLY...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST FACING SHORES AS THE STRONG TRADES WILL
KEEP ELEVATED SURF CONDITIONS. BOTH ADVISORIES ARE NOW IN EFFECT
UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING.
A LARGE NORTH SWELL ARRIVING FRIDAY NIGHT WILL PEAK NEAR ADVISORY
LEVELS ON SATURDAY...THEN SLOWLY DIMINISH THROUGH MONDAY. A MODERATE
NORTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE CHRISTMAS DAY. A SMALL....OUT OF SEASON
SOUTH SWELL WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY NIGHT AND LINGER THROUGH SUNDAY
NIGHT.
&&
.AVIATION...
AIRMET SIERRA FOR MTN OBSCURATION FOR MTN FACING N THRU E OF ALL
ISLANDS WL CONTG OVERNIGHT TO AT LEAST 1600Z. CURRENTLY...THE
ISLANDS ARE IN AN AREA OF MINIMAL SHRA ACTIVITY. THERE IS A LARGE
AREA OF NMRS SHRA HOWEVER WITH MVFR/BRIEF IFR CONDS THAT WL BE MOVG
ACRS THE ISLANDS AFT 10Z. WL REASSESS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE
AIRMET WL BE EXTENDED.
AIRMET TANGO FOR LOW-LEVEL TURBULENCE BELOW 080 WL CONT THRU 1600Z.
&&
.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM HST FRIDAY FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF
KAUAI-OAHU-MOLOKAI-MAUI-BIG ISLAND.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM HST FRIDAY ALL COASTAL WATERS.
&&
DISCUSSION/MARINE...REYNES
AVIATION...LAU
Flash Flood, Hawaii
- When
- December 19, 9:00 PM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Hawaii County, 0.83 mi SSW of Papaaloa to 0.95 mi S of Papaaloa
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 19.958, -155.223
Brief heavy rainfall along the windward slopes of the Big Island above Papaaloa caused rapid rises in local streams. Broadcast media reported that a tourist from California was swept to his death in the Pahale Stream while attempting to cross. It appears the individual may have been lost while seeking a local cabin where he had reservations for the night.
- 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.
- Dust Storm and High Wind in Texas, December 19, 20121 death · 17 injured · $1.0 million · 57 kt wind · 23 events
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19 to 20, 20121 death · 24 events
- Winter Storm in Kansas, December 19 to 20, 20121 death · 1 injured · 12 events
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19, 20121 death · 10 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Montana, December 19 to 20, 20121 death · 3 events
- Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, December 19 to 20, 20121 injured · $710,000 · EF1 · 26 events
- Winter Storm in Iowa, December 19 to 20, 2012$1.0 million · 41 events
- Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, December 19, 2012$410,000 · EF1 · 6 events
- Wildfire and Hail in Texas, December 19 to 20, 20121 injured · $337,000 · 1 in hail · 21 events
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, December 19 to 20, 2012$320,000 · 67 kt wind · 19 events
- Damaging Winds in Texas, December 19 to 20, 2012$225,000 · 62 kt wind · 26 events
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Mexico, December 19, 2012$50,000 · 75 kt wind · 32 events
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: 436975.