Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Hawaii faces potential flooding as a multiday storm hits with heavy rain.
- Kauai received over a month's rain; flood watches are in effect statewide.
- Gov. Green closed state departments; Honolulu activated its Emergency Operations Center.
HONOLULU — A potent, multiday storm is lashing Hawaii with heavy rain on Friday, prompting flood alerts in a state still recovering from devastating floods in March.
A flash flood warning was in effect early Friday on Kauai, where over a month's worth of rain has fallen from the storm's most intense conditions so far. Lihue Airport picked up over 2 inches of rain on Thursday, which is more than its entire April average. Rainfall totals over 6 inches are widespread in Kauai's mountains, led by 14.80 inches at Mount Waialeale.
A flood watch remains in effect for all of Hawaii through Friday afternoon since the storm is expected to unleash more downpours that could cause flooding from Oahu to Maui and the Big Island. These islands could see an additional 2 to 4 inches through Friday night. Kauai's heaviest rain threat has ended.
The forecast has trended toward more moderate flooding impacts like road closures, especially in urban and low-lying areas. Landslides remain a threat in steep terrain.
All state government departments not working on storm response and preparation will be closed in Oahu Friday, Gov. Josh Green said late Thursday, citing forecasts of heavy rain and winds "that could begin approaching (at) dawn and continue through midday or later."
"Be prepared for possible evacuations; this is what we're anticipating. An island-wide event," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a news conference Monday. Honolulu will activate its emergency operations center Wednesday, and first responders will be deployed to vulnerable areas ahead of the storm, he added.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Honolulu said this week's storm wasn't a Kona storm like the two that fueled March's flooding, but its impacts would be the same. Kona storms are slow-moving weather systems that tap into moisture from the equatorial Pacific, funneling a barrage of rainstorms and wind into the state.
This week's storm was also expected to haul in a threat of damaging winds in central and northern parts of Kauai and Oahu, but that concern ended Friday morning. Oahu's mountains could still see some gusts up to 55 mph the rest of Friday.
This is the third major storm to hit Hawaii since mid-March. The second triggered the state's worst flooding in 20 years, and many areas are still recovering.
A widespread foot of rain fell across Oahu from March 19 to 24, triggering catastrophic floods that prompted more than 200 rescues and damaged or destroyed hundreds of properties. On March 20, authorities issued an evacuation order due to concerns that the Wahiawa dam, owned by the Dole Food Company, would fail as water levels rose. Parts of Maui saw serious flooding and wind damage from the first storm in mid-March.
Dole will be monitoring the Wahiawa dam 24/7 during this latest storm, spokesperson William Goldfield told CNN. The dam is in "sound condition and fully operational," he added.
There are "no urgent dam safety concerns" across the state, Hawaii said in an update on storm preparations Thursday afternoon.
In response to the March storms, the federal government approved a major disaster declaration for the state, Green said Wednesday in a social media post. Green said he also requested emergency aid as the current storm escalates.
The hardest hit areas remain vulnerable to the new flood threat as already saturated ground will flood quicker and run off into streams faster.
"Every inch of rain, as far as we're concerned, now is more than an inch of rain. It just compounds itself because of the circumstances and people need to be aware of that," Blangiardi noted.
Rain will ease up across Hawaii Friday night through Saturday, but another surge of heavier rain could develop Sunday into early next week. Details for the next round of rain are still uncertain.
Storm's early stages triggered floods
The storm's first round of showers began soaking the islands Tuesday afternoon and persisted into Wednesday morning. The downpours prompted flash flood warnings for parts of Maui and the Big Island.
Floodwater entered a home in the Big Island's Puna District Tuesday night, according to a National Weather Service report citing emergency management. Rainfall totals over a half-foot have been reported at several nearby gauges.
Crews across Oahu started preparations for the storm earlier this week, including clearing out streams and other waterways in the hopes of preventing flooding, according to a Honolulu news release. The government has also positioned resources across the island and increased staffing, it said.
Nearly 290 Hawaii National Guard members are activated, assisting with monitoring two dams and distributing sandbags and water, among other tasks, according to an update from the state Thursday. National Guard members prepared sandbags in Waialua on the North Shore of Oahu, which previously saw heavy flooding.
Despite the preparations, some residents expressed anxiety about the incoming storm.
"Even yesterday, with the few hours of rain that we had kind of in the afternoon, I did notice some pooling and some puddling in some places," Waialua resident April Wooley told CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now. "That's a little scary already without the rain coming down too much."
Chaum Grinnel said she is also concerned about the storm as she lives in a flood-prone area. "I'm scared because everything will be gone again," she told Hawaii News Now.
