Catastrophic flash flooding destroyed homes and cut off towns on the Hawaiian island of Oahu as the second major storm hit the state in a week.
It’s unclear how many homes have been destroyed on Oahu’s flooded north side, said Molly Pierce, a spokeswoman for the Oahu Emergency Management Agency. Pearce also said there had been no reports of water rescues so far, but he was hopeful the situation would change before nightfall.
Evacuations have been requested for Waialua and Haleiwa, according to the Oahu Office of Emergency Management.
The police department says, “If you can do so safely, please evacuate to higher ground immediately.” “If you have water in your home, move to a higher floor. If you are trapped, move to the highest floor.”
Two major roads, Kamehameha Highway and Kaukonahua Road, are flooded and emergency responders are having trouble accessing flooded areas, Pierce said.
“Right now, all points of entry into the area are flooded, both coming in from central Oahu and from the Kahuku North Shore side. All entry routes are currently flooded,” Pearce added.
A Flash Flood Emergency, the highest level flood warning, has been issued for the region from 8 a.m. ET until 4 p.m.
“This is a flash flood emergency for northern Oahu. This is an especially dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!” said a warning from the National Weather Service.
Heavy rain from the new Kona storm soaked Oahu overnight, dumping two to three months’ worth of rain in the past 24 hours. Rainfall totals reached 6 to 12 inches in the northern half of the island.
Last weekend’s heavy storms have saturated the ground, causing water to run off quickly and cause more severe flooding.
Water levels are also very high on the island’s dams and reservoirs, but rain has begun to fall in lulls, which authorities are monitoring given the already high saturation levels from previous storms.
More heavy rain is possible over Oahu and other islands this weekend, with a flash flood watch in place until Sunday afternoon.
