Kaua’i’s heavy rains claimed a few more victims early Tuesday in Anahola when an enormous monkeypod tree toppled onto five cars that were parked underneath it. Luckily, the cars were the only victims. Substantial overnight rainfall, coupled with waterlogged topsoil
Kaua’i’s heavy rains claimed a few more victims early Tuesday in Anahola when an enormous monkeypod tree toppled onto five cars that were parked underneath it. Luckily, the cars were the only victims.
Substantial overnight rainfall, coupled with waterlogged topsoil from one of the heaviest rainy seasons on record, uprooted the 90-year-old tree, crushing three cars and blocking Kiko’o Loop for the better part of Tuesday.
“At 3 a.m. we awoke to a loud crash,” said resident Diane Ferry. “When we went outside, we discovered that the beautiful old monkeypod tree had fallen, blocking the street and smashing several cars. Fortunately no one was hurt.”
All five cars — none of which belonged to residents of Kiko’o Loop — were totaled.
“The tree is about six feet in diameter,” said Mike Rhodes, a local mechanic who was working on the cars. “It was pretty massive. It took a Ford truck and leveled it like one of those monster trucks.”
A five-man cleanup crew from the county responded within an hour, but waited until daylight to begin trimming the branches and clearing the debris. The road was open again by Tuesday afternoon, though the trunk of the tree remains.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do with this big old trunk,” Ferry said.
Rhodes said some neighbors plan on making tables out of it before it’s hauled off to the wood-chipper.
