Strong winds, heavy rains and high surf continue to batter Kaua‘i after a week of wet weather. But unlike last week’s downpours, the storm currently passing over Kaua‘i brings gusty conditions. “This (storm) is much more dynamic — it has
Strong winds, heavy rains and high surf continue to batter Kaua‘i after a week of wet weather. But unlike last week’s downpours, the storm currently passing over Kaua‘i brings gusty conditions.
“This (storm) is much more dynamic — it has a lot more wind,” said Bob Ballard, a forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Honolulu office.
The strong system accompanies a cold front toward the islands from the northwest. It hit Kaua‘i last night and is expected to stick around through this evening.
The rains are expected to start on Maui today. The inclement weather scuttled the return to service for the Hawaii Superferry until Dec. 13. The Superferry was scheduled to travel to Kahului tomorrow, but weather damage to docks will delay it.
Winter storms typically sweep down from the north, bumping into Kaua‘i first. In contrast, summer systems, including tropical storms and hurricanes, usually start south of Hawai‘i.
Yesterday and today Kaua‘i experienced strong southwest winds of 25 to 40 mph, with localized gusts of up to 60 mph. A high wind warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. today. According to Ballard, a warning means potential threats to life and property. Higher terrain and exposed areas are particularly at risk.
Conditions are expected to let up a bit today; however, “that’s not to say we’re in the clear,” Ballard cautioned.
The wind and debris caused scattered power outages across the island, with a concentration in the Lihu‘e and Kapa‘a areas. Around 4:45 p.m., the North Shore lost power due to a tree branch on a transmission line, according to Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative. Power was restored there within a half hour, but President and CEO Randy Hee said he expected similar events throughout the evening.
“We’re just chasing outages as they occur,” Hee said. “The only thing we can anticipate is that there’ll be more until the wind dies down.”
Hee noted that winds blowing from the south against the traditional trades pattern creates additional challenges for the co-op.
“Our trees kind of bend over and are trimmed for normal tradewinds, and when the wind reverses out of the south it creates an even larger problem because they are kind of leaning a different way,” Hee said.
Around the island, there were reports of a few fallen trees on Ko‘olau and Maluhia roads, and Wailua Golf Course was closed at around 1:30 p.m. as a precautionary measure, according to county spokeswoman Mary Daubert.
In addition to wind, the north- and west-facing shores of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau are under a high surf advisory through this morning. A high surf warning for those areas was canceled yesterday.
Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau Supervisor Kalani Viera said Ha‘ena Beach Park was under a no swim advisory. And while conditions were “really terrible” and choppy at Po‘ipu, where a jellyfish advisory was still in effect, Viera said that beach was not closed. According to Daubert, there were box jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war sightings there.
Despite the advisory, South Shore surfers were not able to take advantage of the conditions.
“It’s really bad down here,” said Nukumoi Surf Co. manager Miguel Graham, who was planning on heading east to check out the surf.
While strong gusts stole the show yesterday, the possibility of rains on already saturated ground has heightened the flood risk, according to the National Weather Service.
A flash flood watch is in effect through tomorrow afternoon.
