000 NOHW40 PHFO 152207 PNSHFO HIZ001>028-162000- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 1205 PM HST WED MAR 15 2006 ...THREE WEEKS OF EXCESSIVE RAINS FOR MUCH OF HAWAII... HAWAII HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS BEGINNING AROUND FEBRUARY 18. EACH OF THESE 4 SYSTEMS HAVE DEVELOPED JUST TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE STATE AND BROUGHT UNSTABLE CONDITIONS AND TAPPED ABUNDANT MOISTURE TO OUR SOUTH IN THE DEEP TROPICS. THIS RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE. AT THE SAME TIME...THE SURFACE WINDS TURNED TO THE SOUTHEAST WHICH HELPED FOCUS MOST OF THE HEAVIEST RAINS ON THE SOUTHEAST FACING SIDES OF MANY OF THE ISLANDS. DURING THE FIRST EVENT...FEBRUARY 19-24...THE FOCUS OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS ON KAUAI AND OAHU. DURING THE MARCH 1-3 EVENT...THE WINDWARD SIDE OF OAHU WAS PARTICULARLY HARD HIT BY SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING. THE EVENT FROM MARCH 8-10 WAS FOCUSED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND...CENTRAL OAHU AND KAUAI WITH FLOODING OCCURRING IN THOSE LOCATIONS. THE ONGOING EVENT HAS PRODUCED ADDITIONAL FLOODING ON KAUAI AND THE BIG ISLAND. KAUAI HAS TAKEN THE BRUNT OF THE MOST WIDESPREAD EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. EVEN THE NORMALLY DRIER LEEWARD SIDES HAVE BEEN MUCH WETTER THAN NORMAL. TO PUT THE AMOUNTS IN PERSPECTIVE...THE AMOUNT OF RAIN ACROSS THE HARDEST HIT AREAS THE LAST 3 WEEKS IS EQUIVALENT TO WHAT SHOULD NORMALLY OCCUR FOR THE JANUARY THROUGH MARCH PERIOD. ON KAUAI... THE RECENT RAINFALL IS 3 TO 6 TIMES THE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH. ON OAHU...TOTALS ARE ABOUT 2 TO 3 TIMES THE AVERAGE RAINFALL FOR MARCH...WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS GENERALLY ACROSS THE WINDWARD SIDE. MOLOKAI AND LANAI HAVE MISSED MOST OF THE RAIN...AS HAD MUCH OF MAUI. THE EXCEPTION ON MAUI BEING THE SOUTHEAST FLANK OF HALEAKALA...THE EASTERN HALF OF THE ISLAND. THIS IS WHERE THE PREVAILING SOUTHEAST WINDS HAVE HAD THE MOST IMPACT WITH PRODUCING RAINFALL. THE BIG ISLAND IS AN INTERESTING SITUATION IN CONTRASTS. MUCH OF THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDES OF THE ISLAND HAVE RAINFALL TOTALS THAT ARE 2 TO 4 TIMES THE AMOUNT THAT FALLS IN MARCH. AGAIN THIS IS DUE TO THE PREDOMINANT SOUTHEAST FLOW. THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND HAS HAD VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF RAINFALL AS THE MOISTURE HAS BEEN BLOCKED BY THE LARGE MOUNTAINS OF MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA. AT SOME OF THESE SITES...RAINFALL CONTINUES TO BE BELOW NORMAL. EVEN LAST WEEK...A WILDFIRE BROKE OUT IN THE DRY NORTHWEST PART OF THE ISLAND BY PUU WAAWAA. LATEST FORECASTS INDICATE NO CHANGE TO THE OVERALL WET PATTERN IMPACTING HAWAII...SO ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED INTO THE WEEKEND. BELOW ARE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE FOR THE PERIOD 8AM FEBRUARY 18 THROUGH 8 AM MARCH 15. ALSO LISTED IS THE MAXIMUM RAINFALL IN ANY 8 AM TO 8 AM 24 HOUR PERIOD. LOCATION TOTAL RAIN MAX IN 24HRS KAUAI MOUNT WAIALEALE 106.08 17.94 WAILUA 39.36 6.11 HANALEI RIVER 34.82 8.01 KAPAHI 30.53 6.41 LIHUE AIRPORT 28.85 5.85 HANALEI 26.28 5.46 LIHUE 25.85 4.79 OMAO 22.53 5.78 WAINIHA 21.16 7.25 PORT ALLEN 20.56 5.43 PRINCEVILLE AIRPORT 16.92 3.29 ANAHOLA 16.15 4.78 MOLOAA 14.92 2.70 KOKEE 14.82 3.70 KALAHEO 14.63 5.27 MAKAHA RIDGE 10.85 3.17 OAHU LOCATION POAMOHO 63.36 10.69 WILSON TUNNEL 39.12 7.05 PUNALUU PUMP 34.92 12.73 LULUKU 34.47 5.85 WAIHEE PUMP 30.64 6.25 AHUIMANU LOOP 28.47 5.14 NUUANU UPPER 26.98 4.35 MAUNAWILI 23.74 5.86 ST. STEPHENS 23.68 4.62 KAHUKU 23.43 6.86 MANOA - LYON ARBORETUM 21.59 3.04 KAWAILOA 18.00 5.00 KII 17.99 5.46 HAKIPUU MAUKA 15.42 6.61 OLOMANA FIRE STATION 15.31 4.15 KANEOHE MCBH 13.63 3.19 WAIMANALO 13.52 5.22 PALISADES 12.67 3.84 BELLOWS AFS 10.87 3.67 MAKUA RIDGE 10.03 2.67 WAIAWA 8.88 2.31 WHEELER AIRFIELD 8.76 2.91 SCHOFIELD BARRACKS 8.73 1.98 MILILANI 7.47 2.54 LUALUALEI 6.80 1.27 NIU VALLEY 6.32 1.60 WAIPIO 6.25 1.62 MOANALUA 6.24 1.42 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA 5.85 2.75 WAIANAE VALLEY 5.77 0.96 KUNIA 5.67 2.43 PALOLO FIRE STATION 5.65 1.70 ALOHA TOWER 5.57 1.21 WAIANAE 5.44 1.49 HONOLULU AIRPORT 4.87 1.28 HAWAII KAI 4.27 1.44 WAIANAE BOAT HARBOR 3.76 0.84 KAMEHAME 3.57 0.76 MAKUA RANGE 3.16 0.86 KALAELOA AIRPORT 2.91 0.93 MOLOKAI MAKAPULAPAI 2.47 0.86 KAMALO 2.46 1.32 KAUNAKAKAI 1.21 0.58 MOLOKAI AIRPORT 0.64 0.32 LANAI LANAI 1.29 0.83 LANAI CITY 0.84 0.33 KAHOOLAWE KAHOOLAWE 0.56 0.21 HONOKANAIA 0.30 0.24 MAUI WEST WAILUAIKI 31.97 5.20 KAUPO GAP 29.27 10.76 HANA AIRPORT 8.14 2.42 OHEO GULCH 7.11 5.73 HAIKU 2.81 0.56 KAHAKULOA 2.81 2.49 MAHINAHINA 1.82 0.37 KULA 1.43 0.66 ULUPALAKUA 1.15 0.46 WAIKAPU 0.91 0.33 WAILUKU 0.61 0.21 LAHAINALUNA 0.50 0.31 PUKALANI 0.35 0.26 KAHULUI AIRPORT 0.33 0.23 BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII WAIAKEA UKA 43.64 11.41 GLENWOOD 42.86 10.52 PIIHONUA 38.01 7.11 MOUNTAIN VIEW 37.78 7.79 HILO AIRPORT 22.94 5.00 PAHALA 22.52 5.89 KAPAPALA RANCH 19.97 6.60 LAUPAHOEHOE 19.75 4.32 PALI - VOLCANO NP 19.53 5.59 HAKALAU 16.22 4.48 PAHOA 15.59 4.53 HONOKAA 6.82 3.01 HONAUNAU 5.76 1.95 SOUTH POINT 3.34 1.32 PUU WAAWAA 2.56 1.62 KAMUELA UPPER 2.39 0.50 KAMUELA 2.18 0.48 KEALAKEKUA 2.13 0.42 PUUANAHULU 2.03 1.51 UPOLU AIRPORT 1.99 0.38 WAIAHA 1.93 0.87 KAHUA RANCH 1.59 0.42 POHAKULOA KIPUKA ALALA 0.85 0.24 POHAKULOA WEST 0.64 0.26 KAHUKU RANCH 0.59 0.19 KAILUA-KONA KEAHOLE ARPT T T WAIKII 0 0 $$ NASH/KODAMA