A tree apparently forced down by wet weather closed Kuamo’o Road in upper Wailua Homesteads Wednesday morning, temporarily stranding morning commuters. Kuamo’o Road resident Ron Ferraro said he heard a loud sound he thought was a transformer exploding, following all-night
A tree apparently forced down by wet weather closed Kuamo’o Road in upper Wailua Homesteads Wednesday morning, temporarily stranding morning commuters.
Kuamo’o Road resident Ron Ferraro said he heard a loud sound he thought was a transformer exploding, following all-night rain and another downpour just before his power went out at around 7:30 a.m.
He said he and girlfriend Jai Rodriguez went outside to see that a huge tree, with a big pile of dirt and rocks, had crashed across the road, taking utility lines with it.
The section of the road where the tree landed is near a blind turn in the state roadway, so the couple helped direct traffic and warn motorists about the blocked road until authorities arrived.
Later, with Kaua’i County Police managing traffic on both sides of the blockage, state highway crews used vehicles and chainsaws to remove the debris. The road was open to at least one lane of traffic about an hour later.
The area has received 8.61 inches of rain since 2 p.m. last Saturday. The total includes 3.4 inches in the 24 hours ending at 2 p.m. yesterday and 3.86 inches Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
