Hawaii County suffers $20 million damage from Lane

HILO >> A Hawaii County official said damage to county facilities from the flooding caused by Hurricane Lane’s torrential rains totaled about $20 million.

Managing Director Wil Okabe said Thursday the figure is only for county infrastructure and doesn’t include damage to state infrastructure such as schools and highways.

He said assessments also found 152 homes damaged, with 29 sustaining major damage.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports Hurricane Lane dumped as much as 50 inches of rain in some areas of East Hawaii when it battered the state last month. The county is still cleaning up its flooded facilities.

Hilo residents alerted to dye test at Puhi Bay

HILO >> County officials are advising Hilo residents not to be alarmed if the water at Puhi Bay starts to turn yellow later this week.

It’ll just be the nontoxic, biodegradable dye being used by the Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Division to confirm the integrity of last year’s repairs at the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The dye test to be completed Saturday will provide information for inspection of the outfall pipe. The yellow dye will be discharged in Puhi Bay approximately 4,400 feet from the shoreline and may be visible on the ocean surface, the county said.

For more information, call the Wastewater Division at 961-8279.