storm

[rusty h]

Did Puna get hit as hard as here on Maui (downpour flash floods)
peace

[Rob Tucker]

Haven't noticed much in Puna yet except overcast and an occasional puff of wind. But the out looking radar
seems very intense. Definitely coming our way.

[hawaiideborah]

downpour in Hilo town today.

hawaiideborah

[birdmove]

Hope the storm didn't do any damage in the islands.It then worked its way to us here in Washington State. Just watching the news tonight. Floods and mudslides caused by huge amounts of rain.One area got 6.6 inches in 24 hours.We usually get a constant drizzle, but not rain like this.The water doesn't soak into the ground fast here like it does in Puna.

My wife and I were in Kihei on Maui 5 or 6 years ago when a horrendous storm hit the island on about Dec. 7th or so.The locals could not remember one that bad.Wiped out roads,uprooted trees in the upcountry area and washed them down hill.Lost power for days in Kehei and flooded.the streets had like 4 feet of water running down them.We watched a porta pottie wash down a street and out to sea next to where we were staying.What was a tiny drainage ditch became a raging river.Cars were stalling in the middle of intersections and home owners strung ropes across those streets so the people getting out of their stalled cars could hang on so they wouln't wash out to sea just like the porta pottie.Luckily we had bought a few groceries before it hit because you could not go anywhere and no stores were open anyway.We saw people tryiong to walk through the water and about three feet of red clay like mud that was deposited everywhere.

I will never forget that storm.

Jon

Jon in Puyallup, Wa.

[missydog1]

Every so often we get those storms that cause a lot of damage. Hilo and Pahala in November of 2000 comes to mind, and I've seen others in Hilo since then, but not as bad as that one, which took out Hwy 11 near Pahala.

We were here on vacation, looking at property, a few days after. We didn't even try to come to Hilo that trip, but we did drive the long dirt detour they had whipped together so that people could get through on Hwy 11 (to visit VNP).

The soil in Hilo is porous, but when land has been paved over with too little thought of drainage channels, flooding happens.

[Rob Tucker]

Yeah, November 2000 set a record. 29 inches in 24 hours at my house in Pahoa and 36 inches in 24 hours in Pahala where the bridge washed out.
That is where there is a shiny nice new bridge just above Pahala. Thank you FEMA.