Hawai‘i Shifts Into Recovery Mode

Communities across Hawai‘i began shifting into recovery Sunday after days of intense rain, flash flooding and damaging winds from a powerful Kona-low storm. The state Department of Transportation Highways Division is estimating $23.04 million in damage statewide — roughly $14 million on O‘ahu, $7 million on Maui, $2 million on Hawaii island and $35,000 on Kaua‘i — to cover contractor response, debris clearing, rock removal, guardrail and sign repairs, bridge inspections, traffic signal fixes and road repairs.

Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawai‘i Public Radio.

HECO Warns of Prolonged Outages for Customers Still in the Dark

Hawaiian Electric said more than 26,000 customers are still without power. They include about 7,000 on O‘ahu, 4,600 on Maui and 14,500 on Hawai‘i Island.  At the same time, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative reported 18 active outages across Kaua‘i.

Star-Advertiser.

Storm Triggers Travel Chaos, Millions in Tourism Losses

Hawai‘i’s tourism industry is bracing for millions of dollars in lost revenue after the Kona-low storm disrupted travel statewide, prompting hundreds of flight delays, dozens of cancellations and a wave of last-minute hotel reservation wipeouts across the islands.

Star-Advertiser.

Storm Exposes Transportation System Vulnerabilities

As a powerful Kona low lashed the islands with heavy rain and strong winds, state transportation officials say the storm is revealing a deeper problem: that much of Hawai‘i’s infrastructure was designed decades ago for conditions that no longer exist.

Star-Advertiser.

Rain Check: 5-Day Totals Show Kona Low Dumped More Rain Than Expected Across Hawai‘i

Preliminary rainfall totals through 10 a.m. Sunday show some of the highest five-day amounts reported statewide were concentrated on Maui and Hawai‘i Island, with multiple gauges topping 20 inches.

Hawaii News Now.

O‘ahu Headlines

Cleanup Efforts Underway at Ala Wai Canal After Kona Low Storms

Crews are working to clean debris from the Ala Wai Canal after recent Kona low storms brought heavy rain and runoff to Oʻahu.

KHON2.

Home Gets Swept Into the Ocean Near Keehi Stream

The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a home that washed into the ocean at Kahauiki Village near the Keehi Stream on Friday night.

KITV4.

North Shore Oʻahu Farmers Search for Answers in the Kona Storm Wreckage

Farmers spent Saturday wading through their properties, trying to pick up the pieces from crops and livestock lost during torrential rains, flooding and high winds this week.

Civil Beat.

Farmer Releases 500 Animals to Seek Shelter From Storm

Waimanalo farmer Claude Colton, owner of Colton Farms, released 500 of his animals, hoping for the best at the height of the storm and was particularly worried about the survival of a newborn calf and other young ones in the heavy rainfall and gusting winds.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Mayor: Hawai‘i Island Hit With ‘Worst Flooding I’ve Seen’

County officials on the Big Island said cleanup is underway after some portions of the Island saw over 20 inches of rain overnight.

KHON2.

Hawaiʻi Storm Update for Sunday at 6 p.m.

About 14,500 Hawaiian Electric customers are without power, with the majority in Puna, South Point, and North and South Kona. The electric company says crews completed repairs to two transmission lines on Sunday, and expect to complete repairs to a third line by tomorrow.

Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Remains Closed Due to Storm-Related Damage

The park could reopen some areas Monday, but there is no timeline, officials said.

Hawaii News Now.

Resilience Hubs Provide Aid to Affected Residents During Kona Low Storm Response

Across Hawaiʻi Island, communities are responding to multiple challenges with speed, care, and coordination through Aloha in Action.

Big Island Now.

Maui Headlines

Kīhei Shoreline Hit Hard in Kona Low Storm: ‘It’s Just Total Chaos. It’s a Total River.’

The roaring water, much of it starting high on 10,000-foot Haleakalā, was a maroon-brown color from collecting sand, sediment and who knows what else along the way.

Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

10 Years After Sugar Plantation’s Closure, Puʻunēnē Mill’s Transformation in the Works

The property’s owner, Oʻahu-based Nan Inc., wants to repurpose many of the Maui landmark’s buildings and features to transform the area into light industrial for local businesses.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

3 Chosen for Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors

KIUC incumbent directors Allan A. Smith and Jim Mayfield were re-elected to office following the vote counting by Merriman River Group. The third director position will be filled by Bryson Ponce, retired from Kauai Police Department Administration.

Garden Island.

New Study on Kauaʻi Finds Surge in Road Deaths for Hawaiʻi’s State Bird, the Nēnē

A new research effort on Kauaʻi’s west side is uncovering a troubling trend that far more endangered nēnē, the Hawaiʻi state bird, are dying along a rural highway than previously believed.

Kaua‘i Now.