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Heavy weather system across islands prompts school closures, floods

Weather system captured over the Hawaiian Islands on Jan. 30 at 8:19 a.m.
National Weather Service
Weather system captured over the Hawaiian Islands on Jan. 30 at 8:19 a.m.

Many residents across the state stayed indoors this weekend as a heavy storm trough covered the islands.

The National Weather Service announced Monday morning that every island was on "flood watch" as the storm rolled through.

All precautions were canceled by Monday evening, with the exception of Kauaʻi — which maintains a "flash flood warning" status.

Officials predict that heavy rain will ease Monday evening into Tuesday morning, and winds will become lighter the rest of the week.

The Department of Education closed all schools on Molokaʻi for Monday — including Kualapuʻu Charter School, Maunaloa Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary, Kilohana Elementary, Molokaʻi Middle and Molokaʻi High.

On Kauaʻi, Hanalei Elementary will also be closed Monday, as Kuhio Hwy. near Hanalei Bridge was obstructed due to flooding this weekend. The highway has since reopened to a single lane.

All closed schools will reopen with normal bus routes for Tuesday.

Amidst the storms, Kaua'i County issued a water conservation warning for residents between Hanalei to Hā'ena, related to severe weather. They asked that residents limit water use to essential tasks such as cooking, drinking or sanitation use to prevent a full water service outage.

Several power outages were documented on Oʻahu this weekend, including a major disturbance in Haleʻiwa when a tree fell on a power line forcing the closure of both lanes on Kamehameha Hwy.

On Maui, a firefighter called to respond to a flooded home in Kihei was swept into a storm drain on Friday and seriously injured.

Maui News stated the firefighter was stuck in a 4-foot-wide storm drain and carried by storm waters about 800 yards. He has since been transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center where he remains in critical condition.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency asks that the public take photos of all damages caused by the storm, stating that it could help with insurance costs and may help your community qualify for future assistance.

This article will update as more information is released.

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