Historic Hawaii floods leave 2,000 people without power
More than 2,000 people remained without power Sunday afternoon after Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years when heavy rain fell on the islands.
Heavy rain fell on ground already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago. The raging waters lifted homes and cars, causing an estimated $1 billion in damage. The storm resulted in assessment orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu — although they were later lifted — and more than 200 people were rescued from rising waters. No deaths have been reported at this time, Molly Pierce, a spokeswoman for the Oahu Department of Emergency Management, said Sunday afternoon.
Hawaiian Electric restored power to about 1,200 people in Waialua on Oahu’s North Shore on Sunday afternoon, according to the company. Customers’ power was proactively shut off Friday due to flooding.
Crews continue to assess the damage and make repairs, and Hawaiian Electric hopes to restore power to an additional 2,000 people later Sunday. In Maui County, about 100 people were without power Sunday afternoon and all major outages had been resolved on Hawaii Island, according to the company.
The worst of the storms appears to be over, Hawaiian meteorologist Matthew Foster told The Associated Press.
By Sunday afternoon, the weather changed from widespread showers to scattered rain from Oahu, in Maui County, to the island of Hawaii, Foster said. Less than 5 inches (13 cm) of rain is expected on Hawaii Island, with between 1 and 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) in other areas.
Winds will blow from the northeast side of the islands, which have more vegetation and can handle more rain, Foster said. It will take a few days for humidity to overtake the islands, and drier, more March-typical weather can be expected by Wednesday.
Additional flooding could still occur, but more on an isolated rather than widespread scale, Foster said.
A boil water advisory remained in effect Sunday for areas of the North Shore from Mokuleia to Turtle Bay, and residents were encouraged to report damage to the city.
Gov. Josh Green said the cost of the storm could exceed $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, homes and a Maui hospital in Kula.
Officials were concerned that the 120-year-old Wahiawa Dam would collapse, although that concern has largely dissipated since water levels fell, Pierce said. The dam continues to be monitored.
Winter storm systems known as “Kona Lows,” characterized by south or southwest winds bringing moisture-laden air, have been responsible for the deluges over the past two weeks. The intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii have increased amid human-caused global warming, experts say.
