PROJECT ALERT NOTICE (HI) Possible flooding from tropical storm Flossie

Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:55:13 EDT

Summary: Tropical storm Flossie is expected to bring heavy rain to the Hawaiian Islands

Tropical storm Flossie made landfall on the Big Island this morning at 6 a.m. (12 p.m. EDT) and is expected to move to the west hitting all of the Hawaiian Islands. Rainfall up to 15 inches is predicted. The storm is expected to reach Maui today around 2 p.m., Oahu around 10 p.m., and Kauai tomorrow around 2 a.m.

We have not yet seen any heavy rainfall on the Big Island but the storm has just arrived. Typically, rain intensities of 3 or more inches per hour are needed to cause stream flooding.

All USGS streamflow and rain gages in Hawaii are functioning properly except the Quarry rain gage at Saddle Road (Big Island) which is experiencing intermittent GOES transmission problems.

Field crews from the Honolulu Field Office are on standby and will be deployed where needed as soon as travel is possible and it is safe to do so. We do not staff offices on the Big Island or Kauai, and the Maui office is temporarily closed because the lone hydrographer staffing that office is on vacation.

We will notify stakeholders and cooperators of our flood response activities over the next several days.

Sub-Region: Pacific Islands; Region: Western United States