Weekend rain a sign of what's to come

By Curtis Lum and Hugh Clark
Advertiser Staff Writers

Last weekend's heavy rains and cool temperatures were signs that winter is nearly here.

Bobby Achoy, a Beachboy Society founder, kept one hand on his hat yesterday on windy Waikiki Beach. Last weekend's heavy rains and cool temperatures were signs that winter is nearly here, a forecaster said. See story. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"It's normally this time of year that it starts raining. I remember one year when they canceled Halloween because it rained so much," Rosendal said.

The forecast for tomorrow's Halloween doesn't call for much rain, but Rosendal said residents can expect more days like last weekend.

"Hopefully, we will get used to those more frequently in the next few months," he said.

High surf and heavy showers again battered the windward side of the Big Island. Hilo was soaked Wednesday with 14 inches of rain.

The Bayfront Highway and Onekahakaha Beach Park in Keaukaha remained closed yesterday because of high surf.

Civil Defense officials on Sunday ordered the main state highway fronting Hilo bay closed because of debris being tossed onto the pavement by 8-foot waves.

Bill Davis, Hawai'i County Civil Defense administrator, said the county's park at Onekahakaha was closed because of fear that a children's swimming beach had become too dangerous.

The area was also affected by a temporary invasion of Portuguese men-of-war.

Davis said the state highway and county park would reopen as soon as the surf subsides.

Other roads were open, but county and state highway crews were continuing to remove rubble left over from the Wednesday storm that temporarily closed several Hilo area roads and streets.

Rosendal said yesterday's 2 to 4 inches of rain was "quite common" along the Hamakua Coast.

He said 4 inches of rain also was recorded in the South Point area, which he described as unusual.