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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, November 2, 2006

Windward residents used to flooding

 •  Heavy rain, mudslide snarl traffic on Pali

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

O'ahu Civil Defense volunteer Phillip Kekai diverted traffic away from a section of Kapa'a Quarry Road that was temporarily closed yesterday because of flooding. A flash-flood watch is in effect until this afternoon.

RICHARD AMBO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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KANE'OHE — Windward residents, who've dealt with heavy rain and flooding for much of the year, took yesterday's weather in stride.

"It's just the basic same thing: streams, side roads flooding, dirt falling down — nothing major," said Bernie Panoncial, of Waiahole. "We're used to it already."

From early morning until mid-afternoon, the threat of flooding loomed over Windward areas, but by sunset a deluge had yet to materialize, according to police, Civil Defense and fire department officials.

The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a pair of morning calls about possible flooding. One turned out to be a leaky house. The other was a clogged drainage canal, said Capt. Kenison Tejada, fire department spokesman.

A road crew cleared the canal, but the fire department couldn't do anything about the leak, Tejada said. No other problems were reported by early evening.

Crews from the city Department of Facility Maintenance helped remove water from three Ka'a'awa homes last night.

Police were busy at the Waikane Bridge area on Kamehameha Highway for part of the day because water on the road had prompted a lane closure and traffic was contra-flowed. At one point, the water was too deep for smaller vehicles to pass through, police said.

A mid-afternoon mudslide near Kapa'a Quarry Road did not close the road in Kailua, police said.

A heavy influx of rainwater caused an estimated 4,2000 gallons of untreated sewage to overflow from two manholes near the Kane'ohe Pretreatment Facility. Some of the wastewater entered Kaua Stream.

Residents in Windward neighborhoods reported little or no flooding.

Lance Fairly, of Kaluanui, pointed out that during previous heavy rain a clogged waterway in Kaluanui or Sacred Falls has flooded homes on the beach. "Right now, it's fine," he said, adding, "Say a little prayer for us."

The mudslides reminded one Kailua resident of other slide dangers along Kalaniana'ole Highway makai of Castle Junction. The hillside, across from where people decorate pine trees for the holidays, is scary, said Chip Fletcher, a University of Hawai'i professor.

"I change lanes there, especially now — we're in the rainy season," Fletcher said, noting that one of those hillsides is undercut and could give way at any time and crush a passing car.

A flash-flood watch is expected to remain in effect for the Islands, except the Big Island, until this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

"We had some of our rain gauges report 1 inch in 15 minutes," said Maureen Ballard, a weather forecaster. She said saturated ground in Windward O'ahu holds potential for flooding. "You get another inch or two an hour, there's going to be some problems."

Saturated soil caused a tree to uproot and fall across Auloa Road in Maunawili on Tuesday night, said Larry Leopardi, chief of the Road Maintenance Division.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.