Hawaiʻi endured its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials said Friday. Still, more rain is expected through the weekend on ground already saturated due to the first Kona low storm about a week ago.
Gov. Josh Green said the cost of the storm could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, homes, and a Maui hospital. Green said his chief of staff spoke to the White House and received assurances the islands would have federal support. No deaths were reported.
In the Waialua-Haleʻiwa area on Oʻahu, muddy floodwaters from severe rains inundated streets, pushed homes off their foundations, swallowed vehicles, and prompted evacuation orders for thousands of people on Friday. An evacuation order remained in place for area residents early Saturday morning.
Dozens — if not hundreds — of homes were damaged, but officials haven't been able to fully assess the destruction, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said.
“There’s no question that the damage done thus far has been catastrophic,” Blangiardi said.
Green said the flooding was the state's most serious since the 2004 floods in Mānoa inundated homes and a University of Hawaiʻi library.
Officials blamed some of the devastation Friday on the sheer amount of rain that fell in a short amount of time on saturated land. Parts of Oʻahu received 8 to 12 inches of rain overnight into Friday. Kaʻala, the island’s highest peak, got nearly 16 inches, the National Weather Service said.
More rain was expected: Blangiardi said 6 to 8 inches of rain was forecast to fall on Oʻahu in the next two to three days.
All islands are under a flood watch through Sunday afternoon, with some areas additionally under a flash flood warning Saturday.
The NWS said significant flooding may occur due to the overflow of streams and drainages. The heaviest rain is expected to last through Saturday night, except for Hawaiʻi Island, where the heaviest rain is expected on Sunday.
“I am not an alarmist. We want everybody to feel safe,” Blangiardi said Friday. “ We are in the business of protecting lives. ... But please, as I watch news videos all day long, and seeing people driving through deep water, we have said countless times, do not do that.”
Officials have been monitoring the Wahiawā Dam in Central Oʻahu, which has been vulnerable for decades, saying it was at risk of overflowing on Friday. Water levels in the reservoir receded by late Friday, but that could change if more rain falls.
Overnight into Friday, the dam went from 79 feet to 84 feet — just 6 feet shy of what it can handle, authorities said. After peaking at more than 85 feet, the water level had dropped by early Saturday to 81.5 feet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
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HECO said it de-energized North Shore areas due to standing water in many communities and at the request of fire department officials.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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