2 deaths on O'ahu linked to rainstorm

By Will Hoover and Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Staff Writers

While the islands of Hawai'i got thoroughly drenched by squalling rains Friday and yesterday, O'ahu saw the worst of it — with two storm-related deaths and extensive damage.

Willie Gacutan moves a grill in the water-, mud- and debris-filled garage of his brother-in-law, Peter Cabrera, of Ahuahu Place in Kalihi Valley. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Roy Matsuda, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service, said the worst of the storm has passed, and that the flash-flood watch on the Big Island ended yesterday at 12:30 p.m. But heavy rains could remain with us for a few more days.

"The forecast is for gradual improvement," he said. "We could have more rain, but it will be spotty."

Matsuda said so far this year Honolulu has had more than three times the usual rainfall. "The amount of rainfall to date has been 15.59 inches of rain," he said. "Normally, it would be 5.08 inches by this date."

For many on O'ahu, yesterday was spent trying to dig out, dry off and cope with the havoc:

• Search teams continued their efforts to find a missing 20-year-old woman, a Schofield Barracks soldier who was swept out to sea by a large wave at Waimea Bay around midnight Friday along with five other soldiers. The others all made it safely back to shore.

According to HFD Capt. Kenison Tejada, the three men and three women were part of a group of about 10 people who were taking pictures at the beach. The search, which resumes today, has been hampered by murky waters and waves of 20 feet or higher. Waimea Bay was closed yesterday at about 4:30 p.m. because of high surf.

"We're just hoping she came out somewhere else and that she's safe," Tejada said. "You never want to give up hope."

• A 5-year old girl reported missing yesterday morning from Navy housing at Pearl City Peninsula was later found drowned, submerged in a rainwater runoff basin near her home.

The Navy said neighbors and emergency personnel found the child at around 11 a.m. in water about waist-deep and attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. While there was no reason to suspect foul play, Naval Criminal Investigative Services said it would begin an investigation of the death.

• The Board of Water Supply called for immediate water conservation on the North Shore because of damaged pumping equipment at the Waialua Wells facility — the sole source of drinking water for Waialua, Hale'iwa and Pupukea.

Heavy rain in the Kalihi Valley area caused waves of water to run down Likelike Highway, resulting in a 20-foot deep sinkhole in the south-bound side of the road. Work crews worked to clear away debris surrounding the sinkhole. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

• The Honolulu-bound lanes of Likelike Highway remained closed from Kahekili Highway in Kane'ohe, because of a sink hole that was 15 feet wide, 15 feet long and 20 feet deep. The hole opened up late Friday night about a half-mile north of Valley View drive.

While early police reports indicated the town-bound lanes could be closed for as long as two weeks, Scott Ishikawa, with the state Department of Transportation, said, weather permitting, the highway could be open again by tomorrow morning.

• Kalihi Valley residents living directly downhill from that sink hole — on and below Ahuahu Street — suffered extended damage after a storm drain blew out Friday and sent a wall of mud and water washing down on about a dozen homes.

• According to the Hawaiian Electric Co., more than a dozen storm-related power failures throughout yesterday left some 12,000 homes on O'ahu without electricity.

Most of those customers were without power for less than two hours, said HECO spokesman Bruce Benson, and by day's end electricity had been restored to all but a handful, he said.

On the Neighbor Islands, fire and county Civil Defense officials reported no injuries on the Big Island from the storm, but high winds late Friday or early yesterday wrecked three homes in Miloli'i and damaged four others.

Troy Kindred, Big Island Civil Defense administrator, said the homes that suffered the most serious damage were near Huanui Road mauka of Miloli'i.

Some of the homes had major damage to their roofs, and at least one was pushed completely off its foundations, according to Civil Defense and fire officials.

The homes have no water or power and Red Cross workers offered the families emergency shelter, but the residents opted instead to stay at their homes, Kindred said. No estimates of the damage were available.

On Maui, the 65-foot yacht, America II was pushed onto a reef by high wind about 300 yards off Lahaina. The boat, which competed for the America's Cup in 1987, is now used for dinner cruises.

Two boats also were driven aground by high winds at Kailua, Kona, and suffered extensive damage.

The Big Island Civil Defense reported that six inches of snow fell at the 9,200-foot elevation of Mauna Kea at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, an educational and science support facility. A summit road advisory recording said snow drifts of 2 feet were reported at "the first parking lot" near the support facility. Mauna Kea is 13,796 feet high. The weather service posted winter storm warnings for Big Island summits overnight, advising of possible life-threatening conditions with high winds, blowing snow and below-zero chill factors.

Pockets of high winds kept emergency workers busy all day yesterday on the Big Island.

Felled trees and branches near Mud Lane between Honoka'a and Waimea blocked traffic in both directions on Hawai'i Belt Road yesterday afternoon, with police establishing road blocks in both towns to turn motorists away.

That highway is a primary link between Hilo and Kona, and closures of portions of Old Mamalahoa Highway and Kapuna Road made detours impossible, according to Hawai'i County Civil Defense.

Falling trees and debris also prompted closure of Saddle Road for about two hours at the eight-mile marker above Hilo.

The Honoka'a Sports Complex Gymnasium and the Waimea Community Center were designated as temporary shelters for stranded motorists.

Curtis Beck, manager customer services department for Hawai'i Electric Light Co., said that even after the main front of the storm passed the Big Island, unstable air caused "hotspots" of bad weather yesterday, mostly over the interior of the island.

"We're scrambling over here today," said Beck. "We're seeing scattered outages, which include anything from weather-related events to scattered lightening strikes."

The largest of the outages cut power to about 20,000 Helco customers after a tree fell on a transmission line between Honoka'a and Waimea at 1:13 p.m., which then triggered a shutdown of power generating units in Hamakua, Hilo and Puna.

Power was restored to those customers by 1:45 p.m., Beck said, but other smaller outages were reported around the island.

Assistant Fire Chief Lloyd Narimatsu said firefighters were "smashed" with calls, responding to downed trees on the road, branches that fell on power lines and wind damage to homes in the Miloli'i area.

If the high winds continue today, Narimatsu urged Big Island residents to stay home if possible. "The less cars and people on the street, the better," he said.

This article includes information from the Associated Press.

Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com. Reach Kevin Dayton at 808 935-3916 or at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.