State crews are working across Hawaii to address the aftermath of the recent severe weather, which has left a trail of debris in waterways, grounded several boats and caused significant damage on multiple islands.

At the Ala Wai Canal, a temporary trash boom installed late Wednesday successfully diverted large amounts of debris into a permanent trap on the makai side of the Ala Moana Bridge.

The temporary boom on the mauka side will remain in place through the weekend to help control the flow of debris, according to Meghan Statts, administrator of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

The permanent trap, which was cleared Thursday, quickly refilled with a mix of household and industrial waste, logs and vegetation. Among the debris were unusual items like a large dead pufferfish, a beanbag chair, gas canisters and a mattress with its pillow still attached.

A DOBOR contractor began clearing the trap again early Friday morning, using heavy machinery to transfer the waste into roll-off dumpsters — a process expected to continue throughout the day.

“The tributaries up there tend to bring a lot of debris down, especially when we have these heavy rains,” Statts said. “We’ve got tree branches, trees, just any kind of plastic trash, debris or anything coming down. We’ve had sofas. We’ve had TVs. So clearing out some of those particular streams helps to mitigate some of the problems that we have down here.”

Statts added that the state Department of Transportation was also conducting cleanup efforts Thursday and Friday, removing debris from areas surrounding the canals so that the debris won’t come into the small-boat harbor or the ocean.

DOBOR is collaborating with other agencies and environmental experts to find long-term solutions for managing the steady flow of rubbish through the Ala Wai Canal, which often ends up in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and nearby ocean waters.

“The goal is to catch as much (debris) as we possibly can,” Statts said. “The debris trap really only gets about 20 (percent) to 25% of the debris that comes down in the canal, and everything else tends to go out into the harbor, into the ocean water. So, by trying this particular boom across the mouth of the canal, we’ll hopefully force the majority of the debris into our debris trap, which, again, we’d be able to kind of clean out. And then we’re protecting the natural resource by not allowing it back out into the ocean.”

In East Oahu, the Maunalua Bay boat ramp was rendered unusable Friday morning due to an accumulation of floating vegetation. A three-person DOBOR crew tackled the cleanup using a small front-loader, shovels and brooms, with expectations to restore access by the end of Friday.

Severe weather swept across Oahu on Thursday, causing widespread damage, road hazards and temporary closures. Strong wind toppled trees onto busy roads, damaging several vehicles.

The first incident occurred around 5 p.m. Thursday on Keeaumoku Street near Kapiolani Boulevard, close to Ala Moana Center. In Waikiki another tree fell on Kuhio Avenue, trapping a vehicle among the branches. Additionally, two cars were damaged by a fallen tree at Ala Moana Beach Park, and another tree struck a bus stop on Wilhelmina Rise.

The Honolulu Zoo was closed Thursday morning due to heavy rain that caused significant flooding and ponding. Similarly, the city’s six municipal golf courses suspended play due to persistent rain and strong wind.

Waimanalo recorded 7 inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 9:45 p.m. Thursday, while Hawaii Kai, Maunawili and Niu Valley each received over 6 inches.

Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain to Kalama Valley, leaving homeowners cleaning up on Friday, on their own or with the help of professional water remediation specialists, who were busy with calls all day in East Oahu.

The storm also led to multiple boat groundings statewide.

On Kauai a 30-foot boat was grounded on the rocks within Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor in Lihue. The vessel’s owner secured the boat and successfully moved it into a harbor slip.

On Hawaii island a vessel sank in Hilo Bay, with the owner working alongside DOBOR to coordinate its removal.

On Molokai a 28-foot trimaran drifted off Kaunakakai Harbor following the recent death of its owner. Crews are working to secure the vessel as conditions allow.

Statts urged boat owners to stay informed about weather forecasts, secure their vessels properly and avoid venturing out during storms to prevent such incidents.

On Maui the 65-foot catamaran Hula Girl ran aground overnight in the Honolua- Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District after seeking shelter from the storm. The vessel’s owner is cooperating with DOBOR to devise a salvage plan that minimizes damage to sensitive coral reefs.

The Division of Aquatic Resources and the Coast Guard Marine Safety Team Maui are assisting in the assessment, with no pollution detected so far.

Two other vessels also ran aground in Maui Nui.

The powerboat Hinatea washed ashore near Kama‘ole Beach Park One in Kihei, and DOBOR is working to contact the owner for its removal.

The winter storm swept through Maui County on Thursday night and into early Friday, bringing heavy rain, strong wind, flooding and thunderstorms. Despite the damage, no injuries, missing persons or fatalities have been reported, according to the county.

In response, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen signed an emergency proclamation early Thursday, granting the county authority to mobilize resources, activate emergency plans and expedite response efforts. Emergency shelters operated by the American Red Cross in Kihei, Lahaina, Pukalani and Hana were closed at 11 a.m. Friday as storm conditions eased.

The Maui Department of Water Supply reported several water main breaks, including one in Hapapa Gulch, Kula, affecting areas from Ihe Place to Kanaio Road. Potable-water stations were set up in affected areas, with water service expected to be restored by midnight.

As of Friday afternoon Hawaiian Electric reported 71 outages, affecting 1,404 customers across Maui County.

Flooded roads and infrastructure damage are expected to take days to clear, with cleanup efforts continuing statewide into next week.