HONOLULU (AP) — Crews began assessing damage on Tuesday after unexpected heavy rain caused severe flooding in a neighborhood near downtown Honolulu, marking the latest incident in a series of storms that have battered the Hawaiian islands over the past two weeks.
Residents on Oahu’s North Shore, known for its big wave surfing, are recovering from some of the worst flooding seen in Hawaii in two decades. On Monday, another storm dumped several inches of rain in southern Oahu, leading to reddish-brown torrents that swept through the Manoa Valley, east of downtown Honolulu.
“I was shocked to see how much flash flooding there was in my area,” resident Andrew Phomsouvanh stated as he captured video of streets transformed into rivers. “The water just keeps coming.”
Maile Mills, another resident, stood helplessly watching as floodwaters engulfed her Honda Civic parked outside her office. The car was left totaled, with silt and muddy water blanketing its interior.
“It looked like rubber ducks in a pond,” Mills recalled. “All the cars started to float.”
The National Weather Service was caught off-guard by the intensity of the downpour. Forecaster Cole Evans noted that the lingering instability from a powerful winter storm system known as a “Kona low” was expected to bring rain, but the actual intensity was greater than models predicted. One rain gauge recorded six inches of rain in just an hour, while others nearby registered only a fraction of that.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi characterized the event as a “classic rain bomb,” and expressed concern over the lack of prior warnings as he visited affected areas.
“It came completely out of nowhere,” he said on Tuesday.
Even before this latest round of flooding, Gov. Josh Green had indicated that damage estimates could exceed $1 billion, including impacts on roads, homes, and even a Maui hospital. He described it as Hawaii's most serious flooding crisis since a disaster in 2004.
The water levels reached waist-deep in some areas, necessitating evacuation orders for approximately 5,500 residents. Individuals were spotted fleeing to safety on surfboards amidst the chaos.
As of now, hundreds of homes have been reported damaged on the North Shore, with emergency services having rescued over 230 people from dangerous conditions. The flooding has also caused significant agricultural losses, amounting to over $17 million statewide.
While rainfall is expected to lessen, officials remain vigilant as a disaster declaration has been requested to facilitate recovery efforts. Spokesperson Molly Pierce emphasized the collaborative effort between volunteers and agencies to start the cleaning and recovery process.
In the wake of these events, experts point to climate change as a propellant factor in the increasing intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii.
