Big Isle slogs through flooding

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — Flooding from two days of heavy rain damaged at least four Hilo homes yesterday morning, forced Waimea schools to remain closed and shut down two sections of Kamehameha Highway, police and fire officials said.

Kamehameha Avenue around Hilo Bay was closed for most of yesterday after nearly 9 inches of rain fell in the area. Tim Wright • The Honolulu Advertiser

"We've got nothing but trouble," said Assistant Fire Chief Lloyd Narimatsu said yesterday morning as firefighters scrambled to help Hilo residents. "We've got flooding going on all over this place."

Thousands of Waimea residents remained without water or with low water pressure today after a rushing Waikoloa Stream washed out two 12-inch water lines Sunday serving 6,000 Waimea homes and businesses.

County Water Manager Milton Pavao said the swollen stream ripped the pipes off of their concrete pedestals, the first time in 30 years the stream has caused that kind of damage.

"It's a small stream, but the water was so tremendous that it just dislodged the pipes," Pavao said. Pavao said he expects temporary repairs will be completed by tomorrow afternoon.

The broken water lines mean Waimea Elementary and Intermediate School will remain closed today along with Kanu 'O Ka Aina Charter School, Hawai'i Montessori's Kamuela Campus and Parker School.

For the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. yesterday, the National Weather Service reported almost 11.6 inches of rainfall fell in Honoka'a; 8.9 inches on Waiakea Uka in Hilo; and nearly 8 inches dropped on Mountain View in Upper Puna.

The weather service said more than 7 inches of rain fell on Upper Waimea during the same period, with Waimea gauges recording another 5 inches of rain falling on portions of the town in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Residents in four homes in the Kaumana area and elsewhere in Hilo called county officials for help starting about 9 yesterday morning, Narimatsu said. "We've got a company running around here trying to help them out with portable pumps," he said.

The damage was caused by rainfall washing over ground that already was soaked by heavy rain the day before. "It's saturated, totally saturated," Narimatsu said.

Kamehameha Avenue and Bayfront Highway around Hilo Bay were closed as water from 'Alenaio Stream poured across the soccer fields near the mouth of the stream and flooded the highway, Narimatsu said.

Ken Inouye, owner of Bayside Chevron, said the shut down highway and the rising water forced him to close for the day.

"The water hasn't come through the station yet, but the tank portion and the pump portion, they're covered with water," Inouye said. One of his worries was that the water could seep through a seal into a fuel tank, forcing him to pump out the tank.

Flooding has forced the station to close "at least 10 times" in the past 10 years, Inouye said.

Civil Defense officials reopened Kamehameha Avenue at about 4:15 p.m. yesterday, but an even busier stretch of Hawai'i Belt Road remained closed.

County Civil Defense Administrator Troy Kindred said that highway was closed at 11 a.m., and would remain closed until a huge pond of storm water mauka of the highway drains down.

"On the mauka side it has a big depression, and that is now a lake," Kindred said. "We've been very concerned about all that pressure. That road was not constructed as a dike."

Hilo motorists were rerouted a short distance around the problem area near 'Ala'e Cemetery.

A state highways spokesman said Kohala Mountain Road is expected to remain closed for the next two to three weeks while crews repair more serious flood damage that closed the highway Sunday.

Roadblocks were in place near Hawai'i Preparatory Academy and the Maliu Ridge area to divert traffic, with motorists advised to use Akoni Pule Highway as an alternate route.

Rushing water washed out the highway embankment and a 48-inch drainage pipe near mile marker 11.7, forcing the highway's closure, said Scott Ishikawa, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

"That is not good," Kindred said. "No one is trapped, but that's a heck of a drive for someone who lives pretty close to the break."

In Waimea, Pavao said engineers cut off water service to some areas of Waimea to preserve pressure to North Hawai'i Community Hospital. For residents without water, Pavao said a tanker was placed at the Waimea Community Center ballpark to provide drinking water.

The American Red Cross planned to dispatch damage assessment crews today to inspect homes in Kohala, Hamakua, Hilo and Puna that were damaged. There was no word yesterday on the amount of damage to any homes, said Brenda Ford, disaster committee chairwoman for American Red Cross on the Big Island.

The weather service left a flash flood warning in place last night, and planned to leave a flash flood watch in effect at least until 4 a.m. today.

"For right now, the worst is over, but this stuff is supposed to stay here until possibly Wednesday, so we may see it flare up tomorrow morning," Kindred said. "It's going to be dicey until that shearline moves this weather out of our area."

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 935-3916.