Heavy showers Friday on Kauai led to rising rivers, a flash flood warning and a brown-water advisory for the island.
The National Weather Service issued the flash flood warning for the island, which stayed in effect until 10 p.m.
Just before 4 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said that “radar indicated heavy showers and thunderstorms diminishing in coverage and intensity over Kauai, but water levels in streams and rivers remain dangerously high.”
Around 3 p.m. the Kauai Emergency Management Agency reported the closure of Kuhio Highway near the Hanalei Bridge.
Shelters opened at Hale Halawai in Hanalei and Kapaa Middle School for those who needed them.
PRIOR TO that, heavy rain and the threat of flooding at the bridge prompted the early closure of Hanalei Elementary School. The state Department of Education announced the school was closing and evacuating students just before noon.
DOE Communications
Director Nanea Kalani said Hanalei Bridge is “a critical connector to and from the school and the outlying communities where families and staff reside.”
The school also had closed Wednesday due to rain.
Kalani said no other schools on the island closed early on Friday.
Around 4:30 p.m. the Kauai Police Department reported the Wailua River was rising rapidly and that there was about “4 feet of clearance under the bridge and plenty of debris.”
The Wailua River Bridge was still open, KPD said in a Facebook post, but it requested that drivers keep off the road if they could.
“For homeowners in the area, please be mindful of the river and be prepared for potential evacuation,” it added in the post.
THE HEAVY rain also prompted the state Department of Health Clean Water Branch to issue a brown-water advisory for Kauai.
“Heavy rain has resulted in stormwater runoff entering into coastal waters,” the CWB said in a notice. “The public is advised to stay out of flood waters and storm water runoff due to possible overflowing cesspools, sewer, manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals, and associated flood debris.”
NWS said heavy rain was dropping over the area from Kaumakani to Kekaha to
Polihale and would continue to affect the north shore. It detected waves of heavy rain moving rapidly westward to Kauai on Friday morning before issuing a flood advisory.
The public was advised not to attempt to cross fast-flowing or rising water by vehicle or foot.
A flood advisory was also issued for Oahu on Friday morning, but it was canceled early in the afternoon.
