LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i said on Friday afternoon that the National Weather Service canceled the flash flood warning for Kaua‘i because the heavy rainfall subsided as the weather system moved to the southeast.
However, a flash flood watch remains in effect through 6 p.m., Friday and residents and visitors should continue to monitor the weather and be prepared to take action if conditions change.
During the Friday afternoon update, officials also announced the following:
• Acting Mayor Reiko Matsuyama signed an emergency proclamation for the County of Kaua‘i .
The purpose of the emergency proclamation is to provide continued relief for disaster damages, losses and suffering, and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Kaua‘i residents and visitors.
The disaster emergency relief period continues until terminated 60 days following April 12, or by a separate proclamation.
The county will start conducting assessments of flood affected areas across the island starting Saturday. If an individual is a property owner or renter that suffered damages as a result of the April storms, please visit the website https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/960e4dda54164e39bcc647b537491c9a.
The information that is provided will help the County of Kaua‘i understand the scope of residential damage and impacts to our community. Damage reports may be used to determine whether our jurisdiction qualifies for any state or federal assistance.
Affected parties will will need to file claims with their insurance companies for residential damage and personal property losses. Completion of a damage report does not constitute an application for assistance or relief programs.
However, the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) is able to share your information with nonprofit partners if assistance becomes available.
The link to the damage assessment form is also available on the KEMA website at www.kauai.gov/kema.
For assistance with the form, call KEMA at 808-241-1800.
Road closures
Crews from the Department of Public Works Roads Maintenance Division and the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation continue to respond to issues of closures on Kaua‘i. The following is an update on the current road closures and conditions:
• Hanalei: Kuhio Highway near Hanalei Bridge remains closed.
• Wailua: The southbound lanes of Kuhio Highway at Wailua Bridge remain closed. Traffic in both directions remains open on the northbound bridge or Bryan J. Baptiste Bridge.
• Lihu‘e: Pua Loke Street near Haleko Road remains closed due to a sinkhole and a leaning utility pole.
• Rice Street near Mokoi Street is closed due to a landslide.
• Lawai: The bridge on Waila‘au Road remains closed due to flooding.
• Po‘ipu: Ho‘one Road near the Po‘ipu Beach Park is currently closed due to flooding.
The community run shelter at Hale Halawai in Hanalei will remain open while Kuhio Highway near the Hanalei Bridge remains closed.
Park closures
• Lydgate Beach Park is closed until further notice for safety concerns. Updates will be posted when the park reopens.
• Kalalau Trail remains closed due to high stream levels.
• Wailua Golf Course is closed due to flooding.
• All athletic events at county parks are canceled this weekend. Additionally, according to Island School Athletic Director Jerry Jona, all Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation sporting events for the weekend have been cancelled or postponed.
Utilities
• The Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative reported various power outages in Hanalei and Lihu‘e. For more information on current outages, please visit www.kiuc.coop.
• The Department of Water has issued a water conservation request for Powerhouse Road in Wainiha until further notice due to an electrical power outage. Customers are advised to limit water use to essential needs only, such as drinking, cooking and sanitation purposes in order to avoid a full water service outage. An update will be posted to the DOW Facebook page and sent via Kaua‘i County Alerts when the conservation notice is lifted.
• Wastewater Treatment Plants: Due to heavy rainfall, Wastewater Treatment Plants at Waimea and Wailua are overwhelmed, creating spills. Department of Health regulations require that signs be posted to notify the public of the impacted area to be avoided and disinfected.
In Waimea, this area would include the emergency drainage ditch to Kikiaola Harbor and the waters within the Kikiaola Harbor.
For Wailua, the potentially contaminated area would include the Lydgate Beach Park makai of the roadway, including the Kamalani Park playground, and the pavilion.
For questions or comments, contact Donald Fujimoto at 808-241-4083, or email dfujimoto@kauai.gov.
Public transportation
• The Kaua‘i Bus has resumed service. However, all paratransit services are canceled with the exception of critical care exceptions.
Important Resources
For updates on road conditions and closures, please call 808-241-1725. Please do not call Kaua‘i police 911 unless there is an emergency.
For weather updates, call the National Weather Service automated weather line at 808-245-6001 or visit the NWS website at www.weather.gov/hfo.
To sign up for the county’s emergency notification service, Wireless Emergency Notification System, or WENS, visit the county’s website at www.kauai.gov/kema and click “WENS.” Sign ups can be done by also calling the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency at 808-241-1800.
