Major landslide cuts access to Kauai’s north shore; flood advisory in effect for Oahu

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UPDATE: 6 a.m.

A flood advisory has been posted for Oahu through 8:30 a.m. today.

Radar at 5:29 a.m. showed heavy rain over East Oahu from Honolulu airport to Waikiki to Hawaii Kai at a rate of up to 1 inch per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Locations in the advisory include, but are not limited to, Honolulu, Manoa, Maunawili, Kalihi, Kaneohe, Palolo, Moanalua,

Ahuimanu, Kailua, Waimanalo, Salt Lake, Halawa, Kahaluu, Aiea, Kaneohe Marine Base, Waiahole, Hawaii Kai, Pearl City, Nuuanu and Makiki-Tantalus.

A flash flood watch remains in effect for all islands through 6 a.m. Saturday.

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Friday 12:25 a.m

The flood advisory for Molokai has been extended until 3 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

“At 11:47 p.m., radar indicated moderate rain over central and eastern Molokai, with rainfall rates up to 1 inch per hour,” the advisory said. “Additionally, Kawela Gulch and Kaunakakai Gulch are running at elevated levels, with additional heavy rainfall developing just to the south of the island. Minor flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas can be expected.”

The entire state remains under a flash flood watch until 6 p.m.

Thursday 9:30 p.m.

Molokai is under a flood advisory until midnight.

Radar tonight indicated heavy rain over central Molokai with the heaviest rain falling between the Molokai Airport and Kawela. Rain was falling at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Minor flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas can be expected.

Tonight’s flood advisory for Oahu has expired.

7:10 p.m.

Oahu is under a flood advisory until 10:45 p.m. as heavy rain moves across the island.

Radar indicated heavy rain over east Oahu. The heaviest rain was falling over downtown Honolulu from Iwilei to Diamond Head at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Minor flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas can be expected, according to the National Weather Service.

Locations in the advisory include but are not limited to Honolulu, Manoa, Maunawili, Palolo, Waimanalo, Kaneohe, Kailua, Kalihi, Hawaii Kai, Kaneohe Marine Base, Moanalua, Salt Lake, Waialae, Waialae Iki, Makiki-Tantalus, Aina Haina, Nuuanu, Makiki, Kaimuki and Hawaii Loa Ridge.

A flash flood watch is in effect for all islands until 6 p.m. Friday.

6:15 p.m.

The National Weather Service said radar indicated heavy showers near Pearl City with rainfall rates up to 2 inches per hour this evening. A line of rain and thunderstorms is moving onshore near Kaena Point and is expected to spread across the island shortly.

4:45 p.m.

Department of Transportation officials said the closure of Kuhio Highway in Hanalei on Kauai will extend through at least Tuesday. Officials are assessing damage to the highway, removing debris and stabilizing slopes. The highway is the only road in and out of the island’s north shore.

Current road closures in the area are:

>> Both lanes of Kuhio Highway at the Hanalei Hill and approaching the Hanalei Bridge remain closed due to a landslide.

>> Kuhio Highway between Kolopua Apartments and Hanalei Plantation Road remains closed out of an abundance of caution. The area is being assessed.

>> One lane of Kuhio Highway at mile marker 4.5 near Waikoko is currently open to alternating traffic.

Kauai Emergency Management Agency said first responders will continue to have access to the North Shore community by boat and Air 1 operations for emergency calls. The public is reminded not to call 911 unless its an emergency.

Food supplies are available at stores and food pantries in the affected areas. The county is working on coordinating a system to bring in additional food and medical supplies for the community as needed.

4:15 p.m.

Oahu’s flash flood warning has been extended to 7:15 tonight.

Radar this afternoon indicated heavy rain and thunderstorms over Wahiawa and Haleiwa with rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour. A line of rain and thunderstorms is moving towards Oahu from the west, and is expected to move onshore within the hour.

Flash flooding is occurring or expected to begin shortly.

Residents are advised to stay away from streams, rivers, drainage ditches, and culverts, even if they are currently dry. Motorists should not cross fast flowing or rising water.

Heavy rains may cause rock and mudslides in steep terrain areas.

All islands remain under a flash flood watch through 6 p.m. Friday.

3 p.m.

A flood advisory has been issued for Maui until 5:45 p.m.

Radar this afternoon indicated heavy showers falling over the northern slopes of the West Maui mountains and Haleakala. The heaviest showers were falling over the slopes and coastal areas from Haiku to Keanae. Rain was falling at a rate of up to 1 inch per hour.

The stream gauge at Oheo Gulch has risen in response to the rain upslope.

Also, the pool at Makiki District Park is closed until further notice due to a pump failure from the severe weather power outages.

2:35 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning through 4:45 p.m. today for Oahu.

Radar this afternoon indicated heavy rain and thunderstorms from Wahiawa to Punaluu and Laie with rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour. Stream levels will rise along the North Shore, including Haleiwa, according to the National Weather Service.

Additional heavy downpours may develop over Oahu in the next few hours. Flash flooding is occurring or expected to begin shortly.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include Wahiawa, Mililani, Wheeler Field, Waikane, Schofield Barracks,Waiahole, Pearl City, Punaluu, Waikele, Hauula, Kaaawa, Kunia, Aiea, Waipahu, Kahaluu, Halawa, Ahuimanu, Laie, Moanalua and Haleiwa.

2:22 p.m.

Kamehameha Highway between Kualoa Point and Kualoa Regional Park is now open in both directions.

1:50 p.m.

A flood advisory has been posted for Oahu due to heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Radar at 1:39 p.m. showed heavy rain and thunderstorms from Wahiawa to Punaluu and Laie with rainfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour, the National Weather Service said. More heavy downpours may develop over the island in the next few hours.

The advisory is posted through 4:45 p.m.

Locations in the advisory include, but are not limited to, Wahiawa, Mililani, Wheeler Field, Waikane, Schofield Barracks, Waiahole, Pearl City, Punaluu, Waikele, Hauula, Kaaawa, Kunia, Aiea, Waipahu, Kahaluu, Halawa, Ahuimanu, Laie, Moanalua and Haleiwa.

1 p.m.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation has closed a section of Kuhio Highway between Kolopua Apartments and Hanalei Plantation Road as a precautionary measure as water and soil continue to come off the slope at Hanalei Hill.

The landslide at the hill is on the Wainiha side of the landslide that occurred during the 2018 floods, according to the transportation department. Crews had installed mesh covering and a rockfall fence on the slope to capture any loose debris following the 2018 event.

Transportation officials noted the current landslide is much deeper than the previous event but thankfully not as wide.

11:55 a.m.

Heavy thundershowers are expected to develop over the interior and mauka areas of Oahu this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Brief but intense rainfall could lead to near-zero visibility, heavy ponding in areas of low elevation or bad drainage and flash flooding, weather officials said. Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning is also possible.

A flood advisory for Kauai has been canceled.

11:50 a.m.

A major landslide on Kuhio Highway has cut off access to Kauai’s north shore, and the island’s electricity provider is advising customers in the area to be prepared for prolonged outages while the highway is closed, officials said today.

Officials have activated the county Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Operations Center to deal with the landslide and other impacts of this week’s heavy rain.

A county news release said the large landslide at Hanalei Hill closed off all vehicular access on the highway just prior to the Hanalei Bridge, essentially isolating the North Shore community.

The state Department of Transportation says that debris is continuing to come off the slope, and that it will take a day, weather permitting, for conditions to stabilize before being able to assess the situation and conduct debris removal.

Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said, “Our north shore community has been through so much over the years, and again they are called to overcome a great challenge with many unknowns at this time,” Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said in the news release. “We want to assure our residents and visitors that we will get through this together.”

He said with more rain in the forecast through at least Friday, “the best action to take is to shelter in place, stay off the roads, and stay tuned to updates which we will provide as more information becomes available.”

Separately, the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative said its members from Hanalei to Haena should “prepare for extended periods without power if outages occur while Kuhio Highway remains closed.

“We’re working on contingency plans to be able to get our trucks to these areas if there are outages, however, it will be challenging,” KIUC Chief of Operations Brad Rockwell said in a news release. “Access via helicopter will be limited by weather conditions.

“We’ll use all available means of communication to keep members informed about current outages, safety alerts, and time frames for restoration, if known,” he said.

First responders have been mobilized and are able to access the north shore community by boat and Air 1 operations for emergencies, county officials said.

Due to limited access, the Ke’e and Haena lifeguard towers are closed, but lifeguards will be monitoring the Hanalei Bay area and available to respond if necessary, they said.

A record-setting rainstorm in April 2018 caused a massive landslide that cut off Kuhio Highway and restricted access to north shore communities for over a year.

11:05 a.m.

The state Department of Transportation said Kamehameha Highway at Kualoa remains closed in both directions but is on schedule to reopen for today’s afternoon commute.

“Crews will set barriers to prevent additional material from impacting travel lanes and wash down the road,” DOT officials said in a tweet late this morning.

10:20 a.m

The flood advisory for Oahu has been canceled. Kauai remains under a flood advisory until 12:30 p.m. and the entire state is under a flash flood watch until 6 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Hawaiian Electric reported at 10:10 a.m. that service has been restored to more than 1,000 Hawaii Kai customers who lost power this morning.

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Hawaii’s wet week continues today thanks to a lingering weather system that has caused devastating flooding, torrential rain and power outages throughout the islands over the past three days.

The west side of the state was bearing the brunt of the storm this morning with flood advisories issued for Kauai and parts of Oahu.

The entire state remains under a flash flood watch through 6 p.m. Friday and the National Weather Service warns that already-saturated low-lying areas, and streams and rivers will be highly vulnerable to additional flooding.

“A wet pattern could linger into the weekend as deep tropical moisture pools northward over the state in response to low pressure west of the area,” the National Weather Service said this morning. “Saturated grounds and elevated water levels in streams will keep the threat for flash flooding up across the state through Friday, especially over the western end.”

Maui, Oahu and Kauai have all seen significant flooding this week, prompting evacuations, major road closures, and landslides, and the weather service says those threats continue today and Friday.

Hawaiian Electric Co., which restored power to about 20,000 customers in Honolulu last night, was working to restore power to more than 1,000 customers in the Hawaii Kai area this morning.

The heavy rain and flooding have led several schools on Oahu and Kauai to either close or adjust their schedules today.

On Oahu, Kamehameha Highway is closed in both directions between Kualoa Point and Kualoa Regional Park.

A flood advisory for Oahu has been extended through 11:30 a.m.

The weather service said that moderate to heavy showers over East Oahu with the heaviest showers falling over the area from Aina Haina to Waimanalo and Kailua just after 8 a.m. Rain was falling at rates up to 1 to 2 inches per hour.

The advisory includes Honolulu, Moanalua, Halawa, Aiea, Kalihi, Salt Lake, Ahuimanu, Kahaluu, Pearl City, Kaneohe, Waiahole, Manoa, Maunawili, Waikane, Palolo, Waikele, Waipahu, Kailua and Kaneohe Marine Base.

The flood advisory for Kauai is in effect until 12:30 p.m.

“At 8:37 a.m, radar indicated some light rain over Kauai, with additional rain off the western shore,” the advisory said. “This area of rain is expected to move onshore in the next few hours, and could cause streams to rise, and cause ponding on roadways and additional minor flooding. Kuhio Highway remains closed due to landslides between Princeville and the Hanalei Bridge, and another near Waikoko.”

Forecasters warn the public to stay away from streams, drainage ditches and low-lying areas prone to flooding. They say heavy rain and runoff will also cause hazardous driving conditions due to ponding, reduced visibility and poor braking action.

The public is reminded to not cross fast-flowing or rising water in a vehicle, or on foot.