LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i residents were treated to a spectacular lightning show Thursday night as the weather front approached the island, and there were reports of various levels of impact from the passage of the pockets of rain overnight. The popular
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i residents were treated to a spectacular lightning show Thursday night as the weather front approached the island, and there were reports of various levels of impact from the passage of the pockets of rain overnight.
The popular Morgan Pond and the Keiki Pond are closed due to the debris and run-off that have accumulated due to the heavy rains, said Mary Daubert, the county’s public information officer, in a release Friday afternoon.
No stranger to accumulation of vegetative debris, the ponds will be reopened when the Department of Health determines them safe for the public.
The state Department of Health Clean Water Branch on Friday issued a brown water advisory for all of Kaua‘i.
Heavy rains Thursday night and Friday morning caused silt-laden, turbid runoff to enter Kaua‘i’s coastal waters, said Watson Okubo, DOH Clean Water Branch monitoring and analysis section chief.
Until further notice, or until the brown water is gone, the public is advised to stay out of flood waters and storm-water runoff due to the possibility that the water may be contaminated by overflowing cesspools, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, chemicals and associated flood debris.
The advisory is expected to last through the weekend, he said. If coastal waters are turbid and brown, stay out, said Okubo.
High surf associated with the winter storm continued Friday with reports of extremely high surf up to 20-foot faces coming in from Anahola, Ha‘ena and Ke‘e beaches.
Officials with the Ocean Safety Bureau are urging residents and visitors to avoid going on the wet sand, or in the water at these beaches.
Overnight, three boats were affected at the Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor. All three boats broke moorings, with two of them drifting onto the seawall fronting the harbor and one of them getting grounded.
A helper said the incident was a result of the combination of wind, high surf and heavy runoff from the Hule‘ia River. He did not know when the boats broke free, but was certain it was some time Thursday night.
He said on his trip in from Kekaha, the Waimea River was clear, but debris from the Hanapepe River was pushed back into the Port Allen Small Boat Harbor preventing any boats from leaving that facility safely.
On Friday morning, all three boats had crews attempting to rectify the situation.
Daubert said the Emergency Operating Center was partially activated at 4 a.m. through 8:30 a.m. when the flash flood warnings for Kaua‘i were lowered.
During the day, Daubert said she received reports of damage and incidents from the overnight storm.
“The Wailua Golf Course was hit hard, similar to post-Hurricane ‘Iniki conditions,” Daubert said in an e-mail. “There were downed coconut, ironwood and kamani trees and debris all over. The back nine holes were closed (Friday).”
Flooded conditions at the Kapa‘a New Town Park almost canceled a scheduled senior softball game, and the bridge at the intersection of Kahuna and Kawaihau Roads was closed due to debris and flooding Friday morning.
Reports also came in from residents about localized flooding around 4:30 a.m. when streams overflowed its banks, sending water spilling into yards and creeping into low-lying homes.
Daubert said there were reports of debris on a number of roads in the Kawaihau District which were attended to by the county’s Roads crews.
Green waste was not being accepted at the Hanalei and Kapa‘a transfer stations due to safety concerns caused by very muddy conditions at those sites. The green waste drop-off service at those transfer stations will resume when conditions improve.
Unsettled weather conditions with locally heavy rains and thunderstorms are possible through Saturday, the National Weather Service forecast states. Strong trade winds will last through the weekend along with above-average rainfall, the forecast, released at 3:30 p.m. Friday, says.
The NWS states rainfall will taper off a bit early next week, but will still likely remain higher than normal, especially in the Windward areas. The flash flood watch for Kaua‘i will continue until 6 a.m. The threat of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall will diminish Saturday.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
