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Hawaii News

Olivia fades away from Hawaii, but its moisture still tormenting Hawaiian isles

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM

A truck was caught on a rock wall Thursday after a flash flood from Tropical Storm Olivia struck in Honokohau, Hawaii island, on Wednesday.

While former Tropical Storm Olivia was losing its bluster hundreds of miles from the islands, its lingering moisture Thursday continued to torment the islands.

On the day after Olivia made landfall twice in Maui County and scurried off to the west, pockets of torrential rainfall and gusty winds caused more raging streams, flooding, evacuations, closed roads, sewer spills, power outages and toppled trees.

National Weather Service forecasters said things should start calming down today as a drier and more stable air mass settles across the islands this weekend along with the resumption of normal tradewind weather.

Meanwhile, no other tropical cyclones were on the horizon and heading toward the islands.

As the remnant of Olivia was downgraded to a post- tropical remnant low more than 400 miles southwest of Honolulu, weather across the state remained unstable and even volatile in some locations late Wednesday and Thursday.

On Oahu the Honolulu Fire Department responded to nine weather-related emergencies, including a blown roof in Aina Haina and evacuations in Nuuanu, Punaluu and Aiea from 7 p.m. Wednesday to noon Thursday.

Honolulu fire Capt. Scot Seguirant said there was also an arcing wire in Laie and at least four downed trees in Hawaii Kai, Waipahu, Makiki and Pawaa.

More than 10 inches of rain fell over a 24-hour period at the Manoa Lyon Arboretum, according to the National Weather Service, while the Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge experienced gusts of 58 mph Thursday afternoon.

Kamehameha Highway was closed Thursday morning in both directions in Waiahole between Waikane Valley and Waiahole Valley roads due to flooding, as were the Hawaii Kai-bound lanes along Kalanianaole Highway near the Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail.

Power outages continued to plague Oahu on Thursday with Hawaiian Electric Co. reporting thousands of customers losing electricity in Waikiki, Kahala, Kahuku, Kaaawa, Wahiawa and the Wailupe-Aina Haina area.

In the meantime, city crews responded to a sewer overflow Wednesday night that brought 32,400 gallons of raw wastewater gushing out of a manhole at 1015 N. School St.

Runoff overwhelmed a 36-inch sewer pipe, sending sewage down a storm drain that empties into Kapalama Canal and finally into Honolulu Harbor.

The overflow was discovered at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday and stopped nearly seven hours later, according to the city Department of Environmental Services. Crews were able to recover 775 gallons with a vacuum truck.

Crews cleaned and disinfected the area, and warning signs were posted. But water sampling was waived because of the islandwide brown-water advisory, the city said.

Meanwhile, portions of Maui County, Hawaii island and Kauai continued to be battered by wind and rain, leading to assorted flooding, toppled trees and power outages.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources reported that the Makawao Forest Reserve on Maui remained closed Thursday while crews worked to remove downed trees.

On Molokai the Molokai Forest Reserve Road is not passable due to downed trees, DLNR said, and the forest reserve entrance will be closed until the middle of next week while crews work to clear them.

Olivia made landfall near rural Kahakuloa on Maui’s north coast at 9:10 a.m. Wednesday and then made a second landfall within the hour on Lanai with sustained 45 mph winds.

Tom Travis, head of the Hawaii Emer­- gency Management Agency, said his agency would be working in the next day or two to assess damage and come up with a plan to make any repairs if necessary.

The Red Cross also announced that volunteers will be conducting damage assessment in the hardest-hit areas, followed by casework to address emergency needs.

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