Historic Hawaii Floods Leave 2,000 People Without Power

HONOLULU — More than 2,000 group remained without powerfulness Sunday day aft Hawaii suffered its worst flooding successful much than 20 years erstwhile dense rains fell crossed nan islands.

The rainfall accumulated connected ungraded already saturated by downpours from a wintertime large wind a week ago. Raging waters lifted homes and cars, causing an expected $1 cardinal successful damage. The large wind prompted removal orders for 5,500 group northbound of Honolulu, later lifted, and much than 200 group were rescued from nan rising waters. No deaths person been reported, Molly Pierce, spokesperson for Oahu’s Department of Emergency Management, said Sunday afternoon.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said it had restored powerfulness to astir 1,200 group successful Waialua connected nan North Shore of Oahu by Sunday afternoon. Customers’ powerfulness was proactively turned disconnected Friday because of nan flooding.

Crews proceed to measure nan harm and make repairs, and Hawaiian Electric expected to return powerfulness to 2,000 much group later Sunday. In Maui County, astir 100 group were without powerfulness Sunday afternoon, and each awesome outages were addressed connected Hawaii Island, according to nan company.

The worst of nan storms appears to beryllium over, Hawaii meteorologist Matthew Foster told nan Associated Press.

By Sunday afternoon, nan upwind had shifted from wide showers to scattered rainfall connected Oahu, Maui and nan Big Island, Foster said. Less than 5 inches of rainfall is expected for nan Big Island, pinch 1 to 2 inches successful different areas.

Winds will prime up connected nan northeast sides of nan islands, which person much vegetation and tin grip much rain, Foster said. It will return a mates of days for nan moisture to push past nan islands, and drier and much emblematic March upwind tin beryllium expected by Wednesday.

Additional flooding could still occur, but successful isolated areas, Foster said.

A boil-water announcement remained successful spot Sunday for North Shore areas from Mokuleia to Turtle Bay, and residents were encouraged to study harm to nan city.

Gov. Josh Green said nan costs of nan large wind could apical $1 billion, including harm to airports, schools, roads, homes and a Maui infirmary successful Kula.

Officials were concerned that nan 120-year-old Wahiawa reservoir could fail, though that interest has chiefly passed since h2o levels person dropped, Pierce said. The reservoir continues to beryllium monitored.

Winter large wind systems known arsenic “Kona lows,” which characteristic southerly aliases southwesterly winds that bring successful moisture-laden air, person been responsible for nan deluges successful nan past 2 weeks. The strength and wave of dense rains successful Hawaii person accrued pinch human-caused world warming, experts say.

Hill writes for nan Associated Press.