Forecast: Hawaii faces potential coastal flooding this week

HONOLULU — Hawaii faces the possibility of coastal flooding this week, the National Weather Service said.

King tides, high winds and possible heavy rains are expected to affect most of the state, Hawaii Public Radio reported Tuesday.

The weather service warned residents about tides that could be higher than normal and changing weather conditions west of the state.

The weather change could bring coastal flooding in low-lying areas, especially around the peak high tides that occur between midnight and daybreak, experts said.

The potential for coastal flooding is likely to dwindle by the end of the week, but residents are advised to stay alert before then, forecasters said.

Kauai and Oahu face the possibility of strong southerly winds that could exceed advisory levels over mountain areas and along north through northeast slopes through Christmas Day, experts said.

“Most of the time, our trade winds blow out of the east, and most of the trees and the infrastructure can handle that,” said Matthew Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The impacts of king tides, combined with the approaching weather pattern, may cause flooding at beaches that normally remain dry. Saltwater inundation of low-lying roads, docks, boat ramps and other coastal infrastructure is also possible, Foster said.

The current weather pattern could bring winds from a different direction, Foster said.

“It kind of does some funny things with how the infrastructure handles those winds,” Foster said. “We could get some downed trees, and maybe some power outages.”