Forecasters said late yesterday a flash flood watch will stay in effect through this afternoon. Two private elementary schools canceled classes yesterday due to the flash flood warning issued overnight Tuesday, while Hanalei Bridge closed late yesterday afternoon in advance
Forecasters said late yesterday a flash flood watch will stay in effect through this afternoon.
Two private elementary schools canceled classes yesterday due to the flash flood warning issued overnight Tuesday, while Hanalei Bridge closed late yesterday afternoon in advance of rising waters.
Kauai Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada said all island public schools will be open today, including Hanalei Elementary School which had a waiver day yesterday. “All the staff were able to make it to work (at Hanalei), but the students had the day off,” Hamada said.
Hamada said the Hanalei Bridge was open as of 8 p.m. last night.
Traffic came to a standstill for a time on Kuhio Highway earlier in the day after a northbound Mitsubishi Eclipse apparently lost control and slammed into a utility pole near mile marker four in the vicinity of the Wailua Golf Course around 11:30 a.m. The top of the pole and the connecting wires were left hanging over one lane of the highway following the accident requiring one lane to be closed for a few hours.
No injuries were reported in the crash.
“The accident caused a temporary outage to part of the Hilton and the golf course and the jail,” said KIUC spokesperson Anne Barnes.
The power was restored to those areas by late yesterday afternoon.
Barnes said there were localized power outages yesterday as well, the worst being in Kalaheo off Pu‘uwai Road. “There is a fairly good chunk of Kalaheo without power,” Barnes said around 8 last night. “It was a long line with a number of lines coming off it and we are not sure when power will be restored.”
The state Department of Health is advising people stay out of streams and coastal waters that have turned brown or murky from storm runoff.
The water could contain chemicals and harmful micro-organisms from overflowing cesspools and septic tanks, the department said.
Heavy rain has pummeled parts of O‘ahu and Kaua‘i, prompting the National Weather Service to issue the flash flood warnings through today for both islands.
Health officials said they will post warning signs near waters known to be contaminated.
People may become sick or infected if they come into direct contact with contaminated water through their mouths, eyes and noses. The same could happen if cuts or scrapes touch the water.
A warning was issued yesterday that some storm cells could spawn tornadoes, though none were reported on or near Kaua‘i.
“Officials believe that the likelihood of a tornado occurring is very low,” said Mayor Bryan Baptiste in a prepared statement released yesterday. “Civil Defense and the administration are at the Emergency Operating Center and are monitoring the situation closely. We’re keeping on top of this situation and will inform the public of any new developments.”
The areas on Kaua‘i most affected by today’s flash flood warning are: Wainiha, Hanalei, Kilauea, Kapa‘a, Wailua, Lihu‘e, Koloa and Po‘ipu.
Green waste is not being accepted at the Kapa‘a Refuse Transfer Station because of muddy conditions in the drop-off area. Residents may drop off their green waste at the Lihu‘e transfer station or any other transfer station on the island or the Kekaha Landfill.
For more information, call the Solid Waste Division at 241-6880.
• Adam Harju, editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or aharju@kauaipubco.com.
