Power crews are kept busy as Oahu starts mopping up

Hundreds of Oahu residents were without power Sunday in the aftermath of a deluge that moved on to Maui and Hawaii island.

In Kaimuki, rain caused sparking on utility lines that cut off power to more than 1,000 customers, a Hawaiian Electric Co. spokes­woman said. The outage happened at about 2 p.m. near Wai­alae and 7th avenues.

HECO spokes­woman Donna Mun said crews were able to restore power to about 717 customers by 2:24 p.m.

Power was restored to the remaining 292 customers at about 4 p.m.

In Haleiwa a fallen utility pole cut power to Jameson’s by the Sea restaurant Saturday night and prompted the closure of Kame­ha­meha Highway during repairs. Power was restored by 2:30 p.m., Mun said.

HECO crews also restored power to the last of about 300 customers affected by a utility pole that fell near the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie after it was struck by lightning Saturday night.

Mun said power was restored by 7:40 a.m., but telephone crews continued working on the pole to restore phone service.

For a while after the poles went down, the North Shore was cut off in two places as police shut down the highway. Police were later able to set up contra-flow lanes to direct traffic around the repair work.

Meanwhile the wet weather caused a sewage overflow from a 12-inch pipe at 2010 9th Ave. just before 8 a.m. Sunday.

The city’s Department of Environmental Services responded, and the overflow subsided at 9:24 a.m., but not before about 2,950 gallons of untreated wastewater flowed into Palolo Stream.

The state Clean Water Branch said signs warning people to stay out of Palolo Stream have been posted, and water samples are being taken from the stream. City crews cleaned, disinfected and deodorized the area.

The state Health Department also reminded residents that a brown-water advisory is in effect for all Oahu waters and for Kauai from Na­wili­wili to the Na Pali Coast.

Floodwaters and stormwater runoff could be contaminated from overflowing cesspools, sewer manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals and associated flood debris, the state Health Department warned.

In Kaaawa, the scene of some of the heaviest rain, the Hono­lulu Fire Department airlifted three hikers to safety Sunday morning after they spent the night in the Koo­laus, trapped by darkness and bad weather, near the Crouching Lion.

The two men and one woman, identified as students at Brigham Young University Hawaii, called for help at about 4:45 p.m. Saturday, said Fire Capt. Tyler Chan, but rescue crews were not able to reach them until Sunday.

Chan said the students spent a wet night under a tree.

A separate trio of hikers was also stranded overnight above Moana­lua Valley. They hiked out on their own sometime Sunday morning, Chan said.

Strong wind Sunday toppled a number of trees across the island, including a big one in Mili­lani. On Akepa Street in Pearl City, a tree fell onto a Nissan pickup, causing about $3,500 in damage just before 1 p.m., fire officials said.

A wind advisory was to remain in effect until 6 a.m. today for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau. Northeast winds of 30 to 35 mph and gusts of up to 50 mph were forecast.

As the wet weather system lingered over the eastern end of the state, the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for Maui and Hawaii counties.

Firefighters responded to a dozen calls of flooding in Central Maui homes between midnight and 3:10 a.m., a spokes­man said.

At 4:30 p.m. radar showed heavy showers falling along windward slopes of Hale­akala. Other locations in the advisory include Huelo, Keanae, Nahiku, Hana, Hamoa and Kipa­hulu. The weather service said there were reports of flash flooding west of Kahu­lui at about 1 a.m., with about 2 inches of rain falling per hour.

At 3:06 p.m. radar showed heavy showers and thunderstorms falling on the Kona slopes of Hawaii island from Puu­ana­hulu south to Ho­nau­nau. Rainfall rates of 2 inches per hour were recorded in Kailua-Kona.

On Oahu flooding was reported Saturday and early Sunday in Niu Valley, Wai­ma­nalo, Kai­lua, Pearl City and Wai­kane.

According to the weather service, the rain was caused by a cold upper-level trough and moist air mass over the state. Forecasters said winds and showers will diminish during the first half of the week, although more rain could arrive during the second half.