Posted on: Friday, February 1,2002

Neighbor Islands
Rain closes Big Island road again

Advertiser Staff

HILO, Hawai'i — Another wet day on the Big Island forced closure of the Hawaii Belt Road for the second time in three days yesterday, leaving Ka'u once again cut off from Hilo and Kona.

Rain water forced the closure from the 63-mile marker in Na'alehu to the 56-mile marker in Ninole.

Meanwhile, about an inch of rain left most of Puna and Hilo waterlogged. Hilo now has received more than 2.6 times its normal January rainfall; mauka Puna and K'au have gotten almost three times their normal January moisture.

Over a six-hour period yesterday Glenwood in Puna had 1.11 inches of rain and Pahala got 1.05 inches.

Police last night said water on the highway between Ninole and Na'alehu was slow to drain, and that the Belt Road still was closed by early evening.