Hawaii, 2017

Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, October 31, 2017

October 31, 2017 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A kona (upper) low far off to the northwest of the islands was close enough to send waves of showers to the Garden Isle of Kauai. Some of the bands were intense and caused flash flooding over the northern portion of the island near Hanalei.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 kona (upper) low far off to the northwest of the islands was close enough to send waves of showers to the Garden Isle of Kauai. Some of the bands were intense and caused flash flooding over the northern portion of the island near Hanalei. However, there were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.

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 30, 8:55 PM HST, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 30, 8:55 PM HST, 6 hours 10 minutes before
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The radar

The South Kauai radar (PHKI), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy rain, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Kauai

When
October 31, 3:05 AM HST to 4:38 AM HST
Where
Kauai County, 3.38 mi ENE of Na Pali Coast Sp to 1.97 mi SSE of Puhi
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
22.195, -159.600

Flash Flood, Kauai

When
October 31, 6:30 PM HST to 8:31 PM HST
Where
Kauai County, 0.65 mi S of Princeville to 0.74 mi SSE of Princeville
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
22.211, -159.479

Kuhio Highway was closed near the Hanalei Bridge due to flooding.

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.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 722028, 722029.