A third storm system is forecast to affect Hawaii within roughly three weeks, raising the risk of flooding as some areas remain saturated after recent storms. The National Weather Service in Honolulu has posted Flood Watch information for multiple islands, and the Weather Prediction Center’s extended forecast for April 6 through April 13 highlights increasing heavy rain and flash flooding potential by mid to late week. For residents still recovering from a March deluge that exceeded 30 inches in localized areas, the back-to-back pattern increases the potential for additional impacts rather than an isolated weather event.
What is verified so far
The clearest evidence comes from the March 10 to 16 severe weather event, which set the stage for the current crisis. That storm produced widespread rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches across the islands, with swaths of 15 to 25 inches and localized totals exceeding 30 inches. Daily rainfall records fell at official climate sites. The impacts were severe: flooding forced rescues, landslides blocked roads, and damaging wind gusts compounded the destruction.
Another storm followed shortly after. Hawaii County’s government confirmed in a public news release that the ground remained saturated after those earlier storms, directly increasing the risk of flooding and landslides with any additional rain. County officials urged residents to prepare, and the NWS issued a statewide Flood Watch at that time.
Now a third system is approaching. The Weather Prediction Center’s forecast narrative, valid for the week of April 6, describes heavy rain and flash flooding potential increasing mid to late week. The Honolulu forecast office has posted updated Flood Watch language covering specific islands and regions, with defined start and end times and hazard descriptions available through its zone forecasts…