An area of low pressure west of the Aloha State produced heavy showers and thunderstorms. The precipitation led to flash flooding over portions of Kauai and Maui.
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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.
The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.
An area of low pressure west of the Aloha State produced heavy showers and thunderstorms. The precipitation led to flash flooding over portions of Kauai and Maui. There were no reports of significant injuries. The cost of any damages was not available.
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 Mar 14, 10:15 AM HST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Honolulu HI 1015 AM HST Wed Mar 14 2018 .SYNOPSIS... Mostly cloudy skies can be expected over the next couple of days thanks to an area of low pressure west of the area. Numerous showers can be expected over the west end of the state through Thursday with scattered showers possible over the remainder of the state. Shower activity is expected to become less active Friday through the weekend with passing showers possible over windward and mauka areas as well as some possible showers over interior areas during the afternoon hours. Another round of wet weather is possible beginning around Tuesday as another area of low pressure moves closer to the state from the west. && .DISCUSSION... An area of low pressure is centered several hundred miles west of the area. A deep layer of tropical moisture is being drawn northward on the east side of the low. Mostly cloudy skies are the result. Radar shows most of the shower activity is presently over and around Kauai with lessor amounts of showers over the remainder of the state mainly affecting windward and mauka areas. For the most part, showers are expected to be light to locally moderate in intensity though a few brief heavy showers can't be ruled out especially over the west end of the state. This general weather pattern is expected to continue through Thursday as the area of low pressure gradually moves northward west of the area. The low level wind flow is currently from the east. However as the low moves northward over the next couple of days, winds will turn more to a southeasterly direction especially over the west end of the island chain. This wind pattern will continue on into Saturday. Showers will tend to favor windward and mauka areas as well as some interior areas during the afternoon hours. As we start the new week, another area of low pressure is forecast to move eastward closer to the state. Low level wind flow over the west end of the state will swing around to a southerly direction while remaining from the east southeast near The Big Island. The global models are in good agreement in keeping the bulk of the low precipitation field west of the area Monday. However daytime heating along with low level moisture convergence may allow for some showers to move over the islands especially the west end of the chain. Rainfall chances look to increase on Tuesday over the west end of the state as the lows associated frontal boundary approaches Kauai from the west. && .AVIATION... A SFC low about 450 miles WSW of Kauai will begin to gradually push N today. The associate warm front will pass over the island chain later today and overnight bringing the chance for rain to all islands especially Kauai. AIRMET Sierra remains in effect for mountain obscuration across Kauai and windward sections of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. These conditions will likely continue into tonight. AIRMET Tango is in effect for moderate low level turbulence as breezy E winds continue. Winds are forecast to weaken and veer SE tomorrow. AIRMET Tango is also in effect for moderate upper level turbulence over Kauai and adjacent waters with conditions improving throughout the day. AIRMET Zulu remains in effect for moderate icing over Kauai. These conditions are expected to remain in place through the day today. && .MARINE... The current north swell will continue to slowly subside today. However, the strong trades are still generating elevated, rough surf conditions along east facing shores of most islands, so a High Surf Advisory remains in effect through this afternoon for those areas of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect through this afternoon for all Hawaiian waters, except the Kauai, Oahu, and Maui County Leeward Waters, due to the strong trade winds and the elevated, rough seas. A surface low, which developed about 450 nm west- southwest of Kauai. Models indicate this low will drift slowly northward far west of Kauai over the next couple of days, causing the winds to become southeast and weaken across the state tonight through Friday. Light winds are expected to continue across the area this weekend as the low tracks north of the region. The surf will gradually subside along east facing shores tonight through this weekend as the winds weaken and become southeast. Small north and northwest swells arriving this weekend are expected to produce slight bumps in surf along some north and west facing shores of the smaller islands from Saturday through early next week, but remain below advisory level. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Surf Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Kauai Windward-Oahu Koolau-Olomana-Molokai Windward-Maui Windward West- Windward Haleakala-Big Island North and East. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island Summits. Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Kauai Channel-Oahu Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Maui County Windward Waters- Maalaea Bay-Pailolo Channel-Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Windward Waters-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters. && Synopsis/Discussion...Burke Aviation...TS Marine...Chevalier
The South Kauai radar (PHKI), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:39 UTC.
3 flash flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
Kuhio Highway was closed near the Hanalei Bridge due to the Hanalei River overflowing its banks.
Uakea and Waikoloa roads closed in Hana on Maui due to flooding rains on the roadways. Also, Hana Highway was closed at Mill Place, as well as Haneoo and Ulaino roads, due to deep water.
A debris flow covered part of Kuhio Highway near Lumahai in northern Kauai.
Kuhio Highway was closed near the Hanalei Bridge after the Hanalei River overflowed its banks.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2018
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: 739522, 739523, 739524, 739525, 739526, 739527.