Heavy rains continue to drench Maui County

Heavy rain continued to fall on Maui County Saturday, prompting a flash-flood warning on Molokai and road closures on Maui.

Some 14.4 inches of rain fell on parts of Molokai over a 24-hour period ending Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported, overflowing streams and homes in the Kawela Gulch area. Radar data indicated rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour, with higher amounts in some areas.

Social media posts showed heavy flooding on major roads, and county officials and the American Red Cross opened a shelter in Kaunakakai after a flash-flood warning was issued for the island.

April Piilani Augustiro, who lives in Manila Camp, posted a video on Facebook around noon Saturday of heavy flooding on Maunaloa Highway. She said the video was recorded by her husband as he was driving home on the highway.

Her husband, PJ Augustiro, manages Friendly Market Center in Kaunakakai and sent all the employees home Saturday morning because of the dicey conditions.

She said most of the businesses in Kaunakakai, Molokai’s largest town, didn’t open Saturday “because most of the rivers overflowed,” closing roadways and keeping employees from getting to work.

Robin Paoa Au posted a video of fast-moving water making its way across Kamehameha V Highway, just a few hundred feet from her driveway.

“At this point if you don’t have (a four-wheel drive vehicle) or a lifted truck you won’t make it,” she said.

Heavy rain on Friday across Windward Maui and on the slopes of Haleakala caused road closures and flooded low-lying areas. Maui County officials did not provide updated information Saturday on weather- related damage or on the condition of a county firefighter who was critically injured when he was swept into a storm drain and carried 800 yards to a shoreline outlet early Friday afternoon.

Nearly 13 inches of rain fell over East Maui over a 24-hour period ending Friday afternoon. Other locations on Maui received about 5 inches during the same time period. Similarly, the rain prompted a flood watch on the island through today and closed some public facilities and several roads in Kihei on Saturday, affecting some businesses.

“We were closed (Friday) and (Saturday), we’re closed Sunday, and it looks like it’s going to rain Monday,” said Hunter Betts of South Maui Fish Company, whose food truck relies on an outdoor grill.

“Our grill is actually set up outside on the front of the trailer. … But when it’s raining hard, it’s not fair to my guys to make them cook fish in the rain, and the customers have to stand in the rain,” Betts said. “It’s not that often when it happens, but when it does happen, we’ve got to shut down.”

He has about 560 pounds of bigeye tuna that he would’ve dispensed from the food truck but is now looking to sell cheap.

Another Kihei-based food truck, Wing Kings Maui, managed to make the best of the bad weather.

“We got a grilled cheese and tomato soup on special — it’s perfect weather,” said owner Kris Thorp. “We got fried chicken and stuff, so we’re killing it today.”

The National Weather Serv­ice said most of the state can expect wet weather for the next couple of days, potentially spreading to Kauai tonight and Monday. Heavy showers and thunderstorms also may develop, especially over windward areas.

Additionally, Kauai and Oahu may see locally gusty northeast tradewinds through today.