- Dec
- 17
Perfect Storm Hits Maui
Aloha,
Please check out the picture Ken took at Maui Sunset during the peak of storm while showing some buyer’s around. For more details on the storm please read the complete Maui Weekly article below writen by Sarah Ruppenthal
Mahalo,
The Smith Team
Ken, Gregory P., and Jeremy Smith R(S)
Rain, wind, surf wreak havoc on beaches, homes, roadways, patience. “It was the worst I’ve seen.”<
What began as an inconspicuously cloudy morning Wednesday, Dec. 5, quickly spiraled into pandemonium as a massive storm system ravaged the island. Within hours, relentless rain and wind flooded roadways, downed power lines and destroyed several island homes. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the northbound storm system pushed a heavy cold front across the state, sending an onslaught of severe southwest winds. The NWS Forecast reported winds blowing up to 60 miles per hour in some areas of the island, prompting a flurry of public safety warnings from the Office of the Mayor and the Maui County Civil Defense Agency. While residents stocked up on water and batteries, a domino effect of power outages swept through South Maui, Upcountry and pockets of Central and West Maui. A string of storm-related incidents, including road closures, flooded homes and power outages, progressed through the day, and the once innocuous sounding storm system evolved into something more than a colorful blob on the evening news weather report—and for many island residents, the reality has been devastating.
Early Wednesday morning, the Honolulu NWS issued a statewide flash flood watch after weather radar spotted a line of heavy showers and thunderstorms with rainfall rates of two to four inches per hour approaching Moloka‘i from the northwest. A few hours later, the soaking rainfall reached West Maui, blanketing the island in a few short hours. As violent gusts merged with seasonal Kona winds, county officials issued a high wind warning, predicting widespread property damage, fallen trees and power outages. And as poor visibility, piles of debris and localized flooding plagued island roadways, road closures sprung up across the island, including the heavily traveled routes of Haleakala and Kula Highways.
As the storm pummeled the island, life came to an eerie standstill: Schools sent students home for the day, county departments halted operations, meetings and events were postponed, and county landfills, recycling centers, parks and recreational facilities were closed due to flooding and unsafe conditions. At Kahului Harbor, Matson Shipping Company ceased yard and container operations for the day and the much anticipated re-launch of the Hawai‘i Superferry Alakai was postponed for another week. Across the island, ocean safety officials reported beaches and shoreline waters choked with mud and heavy debris, and the state Department of Health (DOH) warned of waters contaminated from overflowing cesspools and septic tanks.
But for those who saw the worst of the storm, the results were exceedingly tragic. Several residents of Kula, Polipoli and Waiohuli Hawaiian Homestead were transported to safety as their homes were engulfed by floodwaters, and two young boys were rescued from the rooftop of their flooded home by helicopter, moments before it washed away.
John Guard, owner of The Pet Shop at Maui Mall, described the devastating scene at his sister-in-law’s flooded home in Polipoli. “It was mind-boggling,” he said. “There is a gaping hole in the back of her house… the water just gushed down the hill and blew right through the back wall.” Guard’s sister-in-law learned of her home’s destruction when her neighbor called her at work and said, “I just saw a wall of water go through your house.”
Yet in the midst of the chaos, goodwill and compassion prevailed. On Maui for a scheduled anti-terrorism training exercise, National Guardsmen provided assistance to emergency workers, firefighters and the Maui Police Department. Red Cross volunteers activated three shelters at the Eddie Tam Gym in Makawao, Kula Community Center and the Kihei Community Center, handing out refreshments donated by Pizza Hut, Serpico’s in Pukalani, Foodland, Minute Stop and Starbucks Coffee.
“I cannot say enough about the coordinated work that our different agencies are doing to ensure the safety of our people,” said Mayor Charmaine Tavares in a press release on Wednesday. “There is a fair amount of damage across our county and the protection of life and property has been our focus. The worst may not be over yet, so we appreciate the efforts of everyone.”
As for the cleanup effort, county Department of Public Works crews began clearing debris, trees and branches from roads in Kula, Olinda and Pi‘iholo early Thursday morning, working around the clock to repair potholes and dam the mouths of streams and gulches to prevent any further flooding of roads and homes. MECO crews rushed to repair power lines for South Maui homes and businesses as early as Wednesday evening, but Upcountry repairs took much longer due to a barrage of downed trees, shredded electric lines and poles snapped in two. Hundreds of Upcountry residents experienced water shortages as late as Friday evening, as floodwaters ruptured several waterlines and power outages hindered the repair of treatment facilities, pumps and wells.
Officials say it may take several weeks to assess the extent of damage to island homes. As tranquil blue skies began to reappear Friday morning, piles of severed branches, toppled street signs and filmy roadways served as reminders that the storm was not just a bad dream.
“It was the worst I’ve seen in a long time,” said Pa‘ia resident James Campbell. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
Posted in Real Estate |
August 9th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Wow, that looks like a fierce storm. I see that this post is dated December 17th. What are the dates for Maui storm seasons?