Brace for more wind and rain
Strong southwest winds were expected to ease a little today after causing extensive power outages, some localized flooding, roof damage and high surf yesterday.
“Today is not going to be calm,” said Ian Morrison, National Weather Service lead forecaster. “We still have southwest winds (averaging 15 to 25 mph), just not quite as strong.”
Wind also is expected to pick up again tomorrow with another northwest storm front moving in by the afternoon, he said.
Showers were expected to move through all the islands today with the wind, mostly affecting Oahu and Maui.
A gust of 73 mph was reported at Makua Ridge in the Waianae mountains yesterday and up to 61 mph at the Schofield firebreak, Morrison said.
Three people were injured yesterday as a result of blustery wind that blew off pieces of roofs and caused power failures on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
Downed power lines sparked brush fires on Kauai and the Big Island and a tree fire on Oahu.
About 22,300 Hawaiian Electric Co. customers were without power yesterday and early today with blustery wind and trees affecting lines, a HECO spokeswoman said.
Outages were mostly in windward Oahu, but also at Wahiawa, Haleiwa, Makaha, Barbers Point, Waipahu, Nuuanu and Kalihi, she said.
Some outages lasted under an hour and some up to three hours, she said.
Lights were out early today in Wilson Tunnel on Likelike Highway; about 20 to 30 customers had no power on Pulama Road in Kahaluu and a small outage was reported affecting about 18 customers in Nanakuli.
Oahu Civil Defense spokesman John Cummings III said about 20 staff members worked through the night assisting with problems.
Civil Defense officials were concerned about a high tide of more than two feet at midnight, he said.
State road crews responded to sand blockages twice last night at Rocky Point and the Ke Nui Road area on the North Shore, he said.
Some localized flooding was reported because of heavy pooling in some spots but no homes were reported damaged, Cummings said.
“It was more of nuisance flooding.”
About 2 a.m., he said, there was some concern about sheltering homeless people affected by high surf and rain soaking their tents at Ulehawa Beach Park in Nanakuli.
The American Red Cross and city Parks Department were prepared to coordinate the move to a shelter but the weather cleared and it wasn’t needed, Cummings said.
Cummings said the sand bar built up at Waimea Bay because of the high surf and the city’s Department of Facility Maintenance was going out today to assess the blockage and flooding potential.
Surf with 30-to-40-foot faces was predicted today on north-facing shores of all islands except the Big Island, where it was expected to be 10 to 14 feet in the Kona-Kohala area.,
West-facing shores were expected to have 15 to 25-foot surf today.
Morrison said the surf was to remain at warning levels through today and drop to an advisory tomorrow.
“Today is not going to be calm,” said Ian Morrison, National Weather Service lead forecaster. “We still have southwest winds (averaging 15 to 25 mph), just not quite as strong.”
Wind also is expected to pick up again tomorrow with another northwest storm front moving in by the afternoon, he said.
Showers were expected to move through all the islands today with the wind, mostly affecting Oahu and Maui.
A gust of 73 mph was reported at Makua Ridge in the Waianae mountains yesterday and up to 61 mph at the Schofield firebreak, Morrison said.
Three people were injured yesterday as a result of blustery wind that blew off pieces of roofs and caused power failures on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
Downed power lines sparked brush fires on Kauai and the Big Island and a tree fire on Oahu.
About 22,300 Hawaiian Electric Co. customers were without power yesterday and early today with blustery wind and trees affecting lines, a HECO spokeswoman said.
Outages were mostly in windward Oahu, but also at Wahiawa, Haleiwa, Makaha, Barbers Point, Waipahu, Nuuanu and Kalihi, she said.
Some outages lasted under an hour and some up to three hours, she said.
Lights were out early today in Wilson Tunnel on Likelike Highway; about 20 to 30 customers had no power on Pulama Road in Kahaluu and a small outage was reported affecting about 18 customers in Nanakuli.
Oahu Civil Defense spokesman John Cummings III said about 20 staff members worked through the night assisting with problems.
Civil Defense officials were concerned about a high tide of more than two feet at midnight, he said.
State road crews responded to sand blockages twice last night at Rocky Point and the Ke Nui Road area on the North Shore, he said.
Some localized flooding was reported because of heavy pooling in some spots but no homes were reported damaged, Cummings said.
“It was more of nuisance flooding.”
About 2 a.m., he said, there was some concern about sheltering homeless people affected by high surf and rain soaking their tents at Ulehawa Beach Park in Nanakuli.
The American Red Cross and city Parks Department were prepared to coordinate the move to a shelter but the weather cleared and it wasn’t needed, Cummings said.
Cummings said the sand bar built up at Waimea Bay because of the high surf and the city’s Department of Facility Maintenance was going out today to assess the blockage and flooding potential.
Surf with 30-to-40-foot faces was predicted today on north-facing shores of all islands except the Big Island, where it was expected to be 10 to 14 feet in the Kona-Kohala area.,
West-facing shores were expected to have 15 to 25-foot surf today.
Morrison said the surf was to remain at warning levels through today and drop to an advisory tomorrow.
posted by ams at 2:24 PM
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