Hawaiçi bankruptcies continued to surge in May, with filings increasing by 62 percent compared to a year earlier.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Honolulu accepted 250 filings last month, only one less than April’s total and the third-highest level since a change in bankruptcy law in October 2005.
The increase also was about 100 more than April 2008, when 154 petitions were submitted to the local court.