HILO — October rains were plentiful on the Big Island — but they’ll need to keep up the pace to offset drought conditions.
“We’ve been pretty wet,” said Kevin Kodama, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “But it takes more than just a little rain — you need follow-up rain.”
“Although most of the Big Island had a wet month, rainfall totals for 2017 through the end of October remained in the near to below average range at most of the gage locations due to the severity of previous dryness, especially over the summer,” according to the NWS Precipitation Summary, which was prepared by Kodama.
The rain gauge at Kawainui Stream recorded the highest yearly amount, to date, of 117.57 inches, which the report said is 103 percent of average.
The NWS report showed total rainfalls of:
• 23.36 inches at Glenwood (135 percent of average, which is 17.25 inches).
• 22.87 inches at the Papaikou well (145 percent of average, which is 15.77 inches).
• 19.35 inches at Saddle Quarry (181 percent of average, which is 10.72 inches).
• 17.19 inches at Hilo International Airport (176 percent of average, which is 9.77 inches).
• 16.83 inches in Mountain View (128 percent of average, which is 13.19 inches).
• 11.67 inches in Pahoa (100 percent of average, which is 11.62 inches).
• 8.63 inches at Pahala (163 percent of average, which is 5.29 inches)
• 2.99 inches at South Point (122 percent of average, which is 2.45 inches).
• 2.96 inches at Honokaa (57 percent of average, which is 5.2 inches).
• 2.84 inches at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (212 percent of average, which is 1.34 inches)
• 2.56 inches at Waikoloa (298 percent of average, which is 0.86 inches).
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
