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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, October 2, 2005

Storm dumps hail, heavy rain

By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

HFD rescuers Blake Takahashi and Chuck Spencer rescue a man identified as Roley from under the N. King Street-Richard Lane bridge.

REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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RAINS PERSIST

Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms could continue through this afternoon. Heavy rainfall is possible. A flood watch is effect until this evening.

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Rain fell at least intermittently over most of the state yesterday, and heavy downpours threatened some areas.

O'ahu, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau will remain under a flood watch through 6 p.m. today, said Victor Proton, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service.

Firefighters and Civil Defense worked last night to evacuate residents at the Otake Camp in Waialua after water from Wahiawa Reservoir overflowed into a stream. Residents in the camp were flooded in 2002 as well. The level of Lake Wilson has risen as water is no longer needed for sugar cane irrigation.

Fire Department rescuers pulled a man and a pregnant woman from under the N. King Street-Richard Lane bridge in Kalihi late last night. They had been trapped under the bridge by a rising stream.

Patrick Nii of Mililani Mauka said wind and rain picked up at about 7:30 p.m. at his house, snapping his neighbor's bamboo and putting about 4 inches of water in his yard, which usually drains well.

He estimated the wind speeds at 40 miles per hour.

At about 8:15 p.m., something even more unusual happened: it began to hail, he said.

"I picked up a handful of hail off my front lanai," he said.

"We've been up here five years," he said, "and this is the strongest I've seen the winds, and I've never seen hail."

The hail stopped falling after about 15 minutes, but the rain and wind were still whipping the house at 9 p.m., he said.

About the same time, firefighters got calls to investigate street flooding, mudslides and at least one downed tree.

The early calls were in Central O'ahu. Later in the night, as rain continued to fall on the Ko'olaus, the reports of flooding moved toward Nu'uanu.

At 7:40 p.m. yesterday, the weather service issued a flash flood warning for O'ahu. It was extended until 1:15 a.m. today.

Mount Wai'ale'ale on Kaua'i had 3.99 inches yesterday and 4.57 on Friday, Proton said.

Glenwood on the Big Island had 5.10 inches of rain on Friday and 2.32 inches yesterday.

Reach Karen Blakeman at kblakeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.