The Eastside of the island was under a flash-flood warning yesterday afternoon, and more rain was expected overnight and this morning. National Weather Service forecaster Kevin Kodama said if a band of foul weather showing up on his radar screen
The Eastside of the island was under a flash-flood warning yesterday afternoon, and more rain was expected overnight and this morning.
National Weather Service forecaster Kevin Kodama said if a band of foul weather showing up on his radar screen stayed together, it would dump even more rain, some heavy, some with thunder, onto the island.
Wailua got over four inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 2 p.m. Thursday, with most of that coming between noon and 2 p.m. yesterday.
The flash-flood warning was for areas from Kilauea to Koloa yesterday, and a second system of showers was expected to move in around midnight, with rains possibly continuing into mid-morning today, Kodama said.
Anahola received 3.78 inches of rain in the 24 hours ending 2 p.m. yesterday, and Lihu’e got 3.21 inches, again most of it during the last two hours of yesterday morning.
Yesterday’s flash-flood warning predicted flooding would be imminent, though a Kauai Fire Department reported no incidents. High surf on the North Shore also didn’t pose problems to lifeguard crews, as people were smart enough to stay out of the water for the most part.
By late yesterday, the flood warning became a watch, while a high-surf advisory remained in effect for northwest-facing shores.
Some businesses at Kukui Grove Center were forced to close or were otherwise inconvenienced by the downpour, which caused pounding inside stores and restaurants and happened in the midst of center-wide renovation construction.
Anna Munoz of La Bamba Kauai Mexican restaurant lost her lunch business yesterday to the torrents, and said she doesn’t known when she’ll be able to re-open.
She reported water gushing out of air-conditioning vents in the ceiling of her business, and the carpets are ruined.
Other stores at the La Bamba Kauai end of the mall, near Sears, were also experiencing leaking roofs and ceilings, she added.
Since the center was first constructed in 1982, certain merchants have experienced leaks during heavy rains.
Munoz said she and other merchants could lose thousands of dollars a day if they’re not able to re-open quickly.
