It looks like Mayor Bernard Carvalho was close to the mark when — in the immediate aftermath of the storm Kauai is now recovering from — he told the Star-Advertiser: “I’ve lived here all my life — born and raised. This is the worst.” As it turns out, the 49.69 inches of rain that fell in a 24-hour period ending on April 15 might qualify as a new U.S. record. Bumped to second-worst would be Alvin, Texas, with 43 inches in July 1979. The National Weather Service says a committee is expected to examine the precipitation data and, if correct, certify a new national record.

Well acquainted with soggy weather (albeit usually gentler), Hanalei gets about 78 inches of rain a year.

Easing child welfare caseload in East Hawaii

Child-welfare system cases can fall through the cracks in rural areas like East Hawaii when social workers shoulder heavy caseloads — supervising as many as 40 to 50 at-risk children — and must spend a lot of time on the road. In response to the ongoing crisis, House Bill 2277 is a step in the right direction. It authorizes the hiring of four social workers for East Hawaii; the office there now has nine case managers.

With the larger staff, caseloads can be reduced by roughly five to 10 per social worker. If enacted, the legislation tasks state Child Welfare Services officials with reporting updates on the effort to patch cracks.

It’s progress.