Flash Flood and High Wind in Hawaii, August 7 to 11, 2014

Name: Flash Flood and High Wind in Hawaii, August 7 to 11, 2014
Start: 2014-08-07T08:00
End: 2014-08-11T15:00
Location: Hawaii

August 7 to 11, 2014 · NWS HFO · 16 events in 12 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 16

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.

The impacts of Tropical Storm Iselle were mainly sustained over the east and southeast portions of the Big Island of Hawaii, in the Puna and Kau Districts. Although there were no reports of significant injuries or fatalities from Iselle, preliminary reports from the isle listed more than 200 homes and several businesses with at least some damage, and 116 infrastructure problems (including downed utility poles and power lines, and damaged roads). Agriculture was affected most especially, with around 50% of the state's papaya crop destroyed, at an estimated loss of $55 million. The storm also caused damage to other crops; including flowers, macadamia nuts, and coffee. Total costs of damages were not available, but a local private economist said a ballpark estimate for total losses by the state were between $148 million and $325 million.

Additionally, swells from Iselle and Hurricane Julio generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island.

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 Aug 7, 5:30 AM HST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 5:30 AM HST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
530 AM HST THU AUG 7 2014

.UPDATE...
THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HAS NOW PLACED KAUAI COUNTY AND
SURROUNDING WATERS INTO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
LATER TODAY AS ISELLE ADVANCES NEAR THE STATE. TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD TO MAUI COUNTY TONIGHT AND TO OAHU
AND KAUAI ON FRIDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS IS
POSSIBLE OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HURRICANE JULIO
APPROACHES THE STATE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
LOW CLOUDS AHEAD OF THE PENDING HURRICANE ISELLE ARE NOW REACHING
THE ISLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING...BRINGING MORE SHOWERS TO THE STATE.
EXPECT THE SHOWERS ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE AS THE HURRICANE ADVANCES
CLOSER TO THE STATE. WEATHER ACROSS THE ISLANDS WILL TAKE A TURN FOR
THE WORST AS THE DAY PROGRESSES SINCE HURRICANE ISELLE IS STILL
FORECAST TO DIRECTLY IMPACT THE STATE. THE SYSTEM WILL REACH THE BIG
ISLAND FIRST LATER TODAY...WITH ITS EFFECTS SPREADING DOWN THE
ISLAND CHAIN TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. AT 5 AM HST...HURRICANE ISELLE WAS
LOCATED ABOUT 305 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF HILO AND WAS MOVING
WEST-NORTHWEST AT 17 MPH.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE BIG ISLAND...WITH
DAMAGING WINDS...DANGEROUS STORM SURGES AND FLOODING RAINFALL ARE
EXPECTED. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. HEED ALL ADVICE GIVEN BY CIVIL DEFENSE.

TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE MAUI
COUNTY TONIGHT AND TO OAHU AND KAUAI COUNTY ON FRIDAY. AS SUCH...A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS POSTED FOR THESE AREAS RESPECTIVELY.
FLOODING RAINFALL ARE STILL LIKELY WITH POSSIBLE DANGEROUS HIGH SURF
AND COASTAL FLOODING AS WELL AS WIND DAMAGES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL ISLANDS AS DEEP
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH ISELLE WILL IMPACT THE ENTIRE ISLAND CHAIN
AT LEAST THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE FINAL SCENARIO FOR ANY
TROPICAL CYCLONE EVENT DEPENDS GREATLY ON THE MARGIN OF ERROR
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FORECAST. THEREFORE...ADJUSTMENTS WILL
CONTINUE TO BE MADE TO THE EXPECTED TRACK AND INTENSITY OF ISELLE
AS IT GETS CLOSER TO THE ISLAND CHAIN. THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD
REMAIN WELL INFORMED WITH THE LATEST BULLETINS AND FORECAST
PRODUCTS FROM THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER AND THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HONOLULU HAWAII.

AFTER ISELLE PASSAGE...A BRIEF IMPROVEMENT IN THE WEATHER IS
EXPECTED. UNFORTUNATELY...THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER TROPICAL CYCLONE
TO AFFECT THE ISLANDS REMAINS ELEVATED AS HURRICANE JULIO CONTINUES
TO MOVE WESTWARD BEHIND ISELLE. AT 5 AM HST...JULIO WAS LOCATED
ABOUT 1235 MILES E OF HILO...CONTINUING ON A COURSE RATHER SIMILAR
TO ISELLE. A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY REMAINS IN TERMS OF THE TRACK AND
INTENSITY OF JULIO DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THE
SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED.

&&

.AVIATION...
AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AHEAD OF THE PENDING HURRICANE ISELLE ARE
REACHING THE ISLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING...BRINGING SHOWERS MAINLY TO
WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY
WORSEN FROM THE EAST LATER TODAY AS HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED REACH THE BIG ISLAND WITH TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS
AFFECTING MAUI COUNTY AND OAHU TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HURRICANE WARNING FOR BIG ISLAND.

HURRICANE WARNING FOR BIG ISLAND WINDWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND
LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR
NIIHAU-KAUAI-OAHU-MOLOKAI-LANAI-KAHOOLAWE-MAUI

TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD
WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-
OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-MAUI COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS-
MAUI COUNTY LEEWARD WATERS-MAALAEA BAY-PAILOLO CHANNEL-
ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR ALL HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

&&

HUI

The radar

The Molokai radar (PHMO), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high surf, 7 heavy rain, 1 flash flood, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Olomana forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Windward West forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: August 7, 8:00 AM HST to August 11, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: August 7, 4:15 PM HST to 6:48 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 1.67 mi SSE of Hakalau to 1.23 mi SW of Volcano
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 19.878, -155.119

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: August 8, 1:31 AM HST to 4:06 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 1.84 mi WSW of Haliimaile to 1.45 mi SSW of Hana
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.863, -156.357

Flash Flood, Hawaii

When: August 8, 4:50 AM HST to 2:15 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 3 mi N of Pahala to 1.98 mi NNE of Pahala
Cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 19.243, -155.485

Overflowing water from Kaalaala Gulch north of Pahala closed Wood Valley Road in the Kau District on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: August 8, 7:36 AM HST to 1:35 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 2.09 mi W of Mokuleia to 1.16 mi ENE of Kaaawa
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.579, -158.213

High Wind, Lanai Mauka

When: August 8, 6:14 PM HST to 6:16 PM HST
Where: Lanai Mauka forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind gusted over 50 knots and damaged four roll-up doors at the recently built state airport fire station. There was also damage to a maintenance facility.

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When: August 8, 7:45 PM HST to August 9, 3:54 AM HST
Where: Kauai County, 3.99 mi ESE of Kilauea to 0.85 mi NW of Waimea Kauai
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 22.194, -159.344

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When: August 8, 8:35 PM HST to 11:22 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 0.71 mi NNE of Hawaii Kai to 2.81 mi SSW of Mokuleia
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.310, -157.698

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When: August 9, 4:00 AM HST to 9:53 AM HST
Where: Kauai County, 47.67 mi NW of Aiea to 69.76 mi NW of Aiea
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.920, -159.412

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: August 10, 7:22 PM HST to 8:39 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 5.34 mi S of Kona Village Resort to 2.74 mi ESE of Captain Cook
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 19.754, -155.965

What these are

High Surf: Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.
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.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, August 2014

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: 533913, 533914, 533915, 533916, 533917, 533918, 533919, 533909, 533911, 533910, 533912, 533924, 533920, 533921, 533922, 533923.