Heavy rains snarl traffic, close highways

HILO — Ed Teixeira is asking people in East Hawaii to stay home this weekend unless they have a critical need to drive.

That, the Hawaii County Civil Defense director said, will give first responders and road crews better access for response and cleanup efforts.

“We urge residents and visitors to monitor weather forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued,” Civil Defense said late on Friday. “Campers and hikers should consider postponing their outing until the weather is better.”

Lt. Jefferson Grant with the Hawaii Police Department, whose area covers as far from Hilo as Laupahoehoe, said Friday was extremely busy for officers in the field, especially in the Hamakua region along Highway 19.

“This morning, we had two minor landslides that blocked half a lane,” he said Friday afternoon. “Then, we just had a total road blockage with a landslide.” All three landslides were cleared away by early afternoon, but Grant asked motorists to continue checking road-condition reports before heading out.

He said there has been a lot of debris and mud, with trees down from flooding rather than wind.

“It’s been raining hard. Then it would stop. Then it would be raining hard. Then it would stop,” Grant said.

By the Laupahoehoe station, he said, a river went over the bridge. But within just a few minutes the water had already receded, leaving behind debris that needed to be removed.

Road closures Friday included Kamehameha Avenue in both directions in Hilo from Ponahawai Street to Manono Street. Also, the intersection of Pauahi Street and Aupuni Street was closed in both directions, and Bayfront Highway was temporarily closed in the Hilo direction at the intersection with Waianuenue Avenue, with inbound traffic being diverted to Waianuenue Avenue through Friday night.

There were intermittent closures along Highway 11 at the 58-59 mile marker. The normal entrance to Eden Roc subdivision in Puna was closed mid-afternoon Friday because of a large area of standing water.

A flash flood warning for the entire island was extended repeatedly throughout the day but was cancelled Friday evening, with a flash-flood watch remaining in effect through Sunday. A small-craft advisory was issued for most of the state, including the entire island of Hawaii.

Rain was heavy at times throughout East Hawaii. Pahoa got 6.15 inches of rain in the previous 24 hours as of 4 p.m. Friday. The Hilo International Airport reported 4.7 inches. Mountain View got 4.56 inches and South Point 2.61 inches.

National Weather Service meteorologist Leighanne Eaton said it’s possible downpours as heavy as 3 to 4 inches of rain per hour will continue in some areas of East Hawaii throughout the weekend.

The torrential rains caused traffic congestion in downtown Hilo that even triggered some rare honks of frustration from drivers trying to get onto or off of Kinoole Street.

“We’re actually supposed to be snorkeling in Kona today,” said Gary Huntley of southern Oregon. But he said he learned the road he was supposed to take was impassible.

Huntley and his party made lemonade out of a lemon for the day by tailgating at a parking spot along the Bayfront in Hilo. The most teeth-grinding part about his weather experience? It wasn’t the missed snorkeling opportunity. Rather, Huntley was supposed to apply for his marriage license while in Kona, which, by the way, saw minimal rainfall.

Five members of his wedding party were stuck there, while he and the rest, including his fiance, were in Hilo. But Huntley said everything will work out somehow, and they’ll be able to take a different, longer route if needed.

Buses were able to stick relatively close to schedule despite road closures, said Officer Manager Del Walter said at the bus depot along the Bayfront in Hilo.

“Sales are good,” she said. “I was surprised. I thought it was going to be really slow.” The only bus that might not stay on schedule, she said, is the one coming from Ka‘u, which will have to deal with intermittent road closings.

Kamuela Lorenza was hopping a bus to go about four miles and said the weather has made traveling uncomfortable.

“It’s been horrible for days,” he said. Sometimes buses have been delayed and there have been more people aboard.

“It’s hard to find a comfortable seat. Everybody’s got their bags, and their bags are wet and they’re wet,” Lorenza said. But he said it’s Hawaii. And in Hawaii, everything “has to be OK.” So he figures his bus will arrive, he’ll find a seat and he’ll get where he’s going.

The weather is expected to turn around, at least for a brief respite.

“Like Monday timeframe, there’s going to be a break in some of the harsh weather,” Eaton said. Things might get rainy again after that, but she’s hopeful the sun will break through and folks will be able to see Mauna Kea’s snowcapped summit — at least for a little while.

For those who have been shivering for a couple of days, Eaton noted that the weather pattern began shifting Friday morning from chilly to more humid (and still wet).

“Our winds have started to shift out of the southeast direction,” Eaton said. That will bring warmer, but still moist, air over the weekend. It’s likely to stick in the mid-70s until the end of the weekend.

Eaton cautioned that the moisture-rich air will still make the weekend a time to be prepared, especially for those in flood-prone areas.

“There’s not going to be enough time, really, for the ground to dry,” she said. Thus, if more heavy rain falls, as expected, additional flash flooding will occur.

Eaton noted that recent weather is “changing what we’ve been seeing for the past several weeks.” But, she said, “it’s a significant weather event, but we are in the wet season. It’s pretty much on key for what we usually see.”

Pahoa in particular will likely get “some pretty hefty rainfall totals in that area,” Eaton said, because of winds pushing some of the slower-moving parts of the weather system into the region.

The peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa saw snow of 6 inches to 1 foot, Eaton said, with drifts up to 3 feet high. They are likely to receive more snow until the rains at lower elevations end.

“That mountain (Mauna Kea) is almost 14,000 feet you’re rising up. Any time you have one of these thunderstorms develop, it’ll be snowing at the summit but raining down in Hilo,” Eaton said.