Teams of government workers Monday began an up-close assessment of the damage caused by the Kona low weather system that hammered the islands with as much as 20 inches of rain Dec. 5-7.
The multiagency teams, assembled by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, were scheduled to inspect at least seven public property sites Monday, including damage to Piilani Highway and the Kula State Forest Reserve.
The assessments are expected to continue in Maui County and begin on Oahu this week, with assessments on Hawaii island still to be determined.
The effort, officials said, is expected to help state, county and federal officials determine whether the storm caused enough damage to warrant a federal disaster declaration.
If approved, a declaration could bring added government assistance to public or private property owners and operators in the form of grants or loans.
Future inspections are expected to assess the extent of the damage to private property, and the effort is expected to take weeks.
“As recovery efforts from this storm continue, we urge residents to be patient and to help each other while we work as quickly as possible to complete the assessment process,” HI-EMA Administrator Luke Meyers said in a release.
Heavy rain and strong winds swept over the state for three days, Dec. 5 to 7, dropping anywhere from 20 inches on the south-facing slope of Haleakala to nearly 13 inches at Lyon Arboretum in Manoa. It also brought blizzard conditions to Hawaii island’s tallest mountains.
On Oahu flooding damaged hundreds of properties, triggered at least nine Oahu sewage discharges into the ocean and swamped a Hawaiian Electric substation, knocking out power to thousands of residents and scores of buildings in downtown Honolulu.
HI-EMA is encouraging residents to document their damage with photos and/or video and contact their insurance agency if they haven’t already done so. In addition, each county has online tools to report damage.
