Island already soaked and whipped by storm During an unseasonal storm Monday and Tuesday, torrential rains drenched north and east Kaua’i and temporarily closed the Kapa’a bypass road and the Hanalei Bridge, and high wind caused islandwide power surges. And
Island already soaked and whipped by storm
During an unseasonal storm Monday and Tuesday, torrential rains drenched north and east Kaua’i and temporarily closed the Kapa’a bypass road and the Hanalei Bridge, and high wind caused islandwide power surges.
And more could be coming.
The heavy rains from a cold front which passed through Kaua’i Monday afternoon and dissipated over Maui Tuesday morning also prompted the National Weather Service to temporarily issue flash-flood watches and warnings for Kaua’i and other islands.
The storm gave way to light rain and drizzle by 8 a.m. yesterday, after the storm passed the island.
But scattered showers, some heavy at times, are likely to hit Kaua’i in the days ahead following the development of a Kona low front southwest of the island mid-Tuesday morning, according to Bob Koney, a meteorological technician with the National Weather Service on Kaua’i.
Yesterday, civil defense administrators, including Kaua’i County civl defense administrator Mark Marshall, held a conference call with the state civil defense on O’ahu to prepare for the next storm.
Monday’s cold front came after a week of warm weather and sunny skies brought about by a ridge of high pressure over the state, Koney said.
Heavy rain closed the Hanalei Bridge at 9:20 p.m. Monday, when the river flooded and covered parts of Kuhio Highway on the eastern side of the bridge.
There were no reports of any motorists stranded on either side of the bridge, according to Kauai County Police Lt. Paul Kanoho, who heads the Hanalei substation.
The bridge was reopened by 5 a.m. Tuesday, after the river water subsided and the road became passable, police officials said. Hanalei Elementary School was not affected and was open for classes.
In Kapa’a, the state Department of Transportation closed the bypass road after mudslides formed and tree branches fell on the road, blocking traffic, according to Steve Kyono, who heads the highways division office on Kaua’i.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic, with cars periodically at a standstill, developed for about three miles from Kealia Beach to Wailua.
Julie Anne Layaoen, who was driving to her job in Lihu’e from Kilauea, said she tried to get around the traffic jam by taking the bypass road but had to turn around, as did other cars.
“It was pouring. I could not see. It was awful,” she said.
Another woman motorist who headed to her job in Lihu’e from the North Shore area said it took her 30 minutes to drive from Kealia to Wailua, normally covered in five minutes.
“It was crazy. Coming in to Kealia, it just stopped,” the driver said of the traffic.
Traffic moved slower than normal on all roads islandwide because of the presence of minor road debris, although “it didn’t pose a problem” because government workers had begun roadside cleanups, Marshall said.
Kanoho said “minor” rock debris was found on the eastern side of Kalihiwai Bridge by Kuhio Highway in Kilauea. The debris, however, was cleared by police officers and DOT employees before it became a hazard.
Fallen trees and branches were to be removed near the Halfway Bridge on Kaumuali’i Highway in Kipu and by the Ele’ele Shopping Center on the highway, according to a county baseyard worker in Kapa’a.
Koke’e, Wainiha, Hanalei and Kapahi received the most rain of all communities on the island, with Koke’e reporting the most at 6.7 inches, according to Koney. By comparison, areas from Wailua to Po’ipu received only between two and three inches.
The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood watch for Kaua’i all day Monday and canceled it at 4 a.m. Tuesday, Koney said.
The weather service also issued a flash-flood warning – done when flooding is occurring or is imminent- for south Kaua’i from 7:05 p.m. to 9:40 p.m., Koney said.
Brisk wind preceded the cold front. Gusts in excess of 45 miles an hour caused lights to flicker repeatedly after power lines were struck by tree branches.
The National Weather Service issued a wind warning before 7 p.m. Monday and canceled it about four hours later.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
