Hawaii, 2017

Lightning Strike and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, October 12 to 15, 2017

October 12 to 15, 2017 · NWS HFO · 8 events in 4 counties and zones

Low level moisture became the fuel as surface and upper air features induced heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms over much of the island chain. The downpours produced ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding.

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
0
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

Low level moisture became the fuel as surface and upper air features induced heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms over much of the island chain. The downpours produced ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding. No serious injuries were reported. However, a lightning strike caused a home in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii to catch fire on the 12th.

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 Oct 12, 12:37 PM HST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 12, 12:37 PM HST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The radar

The Molokai radar (PHMO), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:05 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Maui

When
October 12, 3:08 PM HST to 5:33 PM HST
Where
Maui County, 0.74 mi NNW of Lahainaluna to 1.16 mi ENE of Kaupakulua
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
20.910, -156.673

Lightning, Hawaii

When
October 12, 7:00 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, 2.45 mi SSW of Hilo
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
19.700, -155.090

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When
October 12, 8:11 PM HST to 10:52 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, 1.57 mi NNE of Pepeekeo to 3.68 mi SW of Naalehu
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
19.852, -155.115

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When
October 13, 2:28 AM HST to 5:17 AM HST
Where
Honolulu County, 1.68 mi WNW of Punaluu to 0.62 mi E of Woodlawn
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
21.609, -157.924

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When
October 13, 6:44 AM HST to 9:43 AM HST
Where
Hawaii County, 0.81 mi N of Hawi to 3.99 mi SW of Waikii
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
20.242, -155.832

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When
October 13, 7:36 PM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, 1.81 mi NNE of Keauhou to 1.33 mi NNW of Captain Cook
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
19.595, -155.963

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When
October 13, 8:29 PM HST to October 14, 1:24 AM HST
Where
Kauai County, 0.92 mi SW of Princeville to 0.6 mi SSE of Hanapepe
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
22.210, -159.490

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When
October 15, 2:02 AM HST to 4:55 AM HST
Where
Kauai County, 1.93 mi WNW of Kokee State Park to 1.17 mi S of Lihue
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
22.142, -159.697

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, October 2017

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 721150, 721157, 721151, 721152, 721153, 721154, 721155, 721156.