Authorities on the Hawaiian island of Kauai reported several rescues from floodwaters during heavy rain, with no immediate reports of injuries. The heavy rain, which began Thursday afternoon, led to the closure of public schools on Friday and the opening of shelters. Crews worked to reopen roads closed due to landslides, leaning utility poles, and overflowing stream waters.
Firefighters were busy rescuing people in the communities of Koloa and Wailua on Thursday night. Kauai Emergency Management Administrator mentioned that there was a report of 4 feet of water in at least one house, prompting the need for evacuations.
Kauai residents are accustomed to rain, with the island being one of the wettest spots on Earth in terms of annual rainfall. The recent rainfall event, while significant, was not as severe as rainstorms in 2018 that set a national 24-hour rainfall record.
The rain's intensity from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday resulted in several locations receiving more than 10 inches of rain. Lihue airport, the island's official record-keeping station, broke a 1996 rainfall record with 3.65 inches on Thursday. The record was likely to be broken again for Friday, with over 11 inches recorded during a 12-hour period.
Although the rain tapered off after sunrise on Friday, heavy showers were expected Saturday night into Sunday morning, posing a continued threat of flooding. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and advising residents to stay alert and take necessary precautions.
