More wet weather may be in store for trick-or-treaters tonight as a weakening weather system moves down the island chain.
“It might still be wet, but it shouldn’t be as wet as (Tuesday),” National Weather Service lead forecaster Norman Hui said Tuesday night.
The front from the west is drawing tropical moisture from the south, and although the system is weakening, “the moisture might linger on,” Hui explained.
A flash flood watch remained in effect through late Tuesday night for all of the Hawaiian Islands.
The most intense rainfall and highest risk for flash flooding will be in Kauai to Maui counties, according to a weather service forecast on Tuesday night.
Kauai and Oahu awoke Tuesday morning to heavy rain and a flash flood warning issued just before 5 a.m.
Parts of Kauai received more than 5 inches of rain in the 24-hour period ending at
1 p.m. Tuesday; on Oahu, Waiawa got more than
5 inches in the same 24-hour period.
Honolulu airport recorded more than 3 inches of rain in 24 hours.
Landslides and minor flooding on roadways occurred across the two islands.
Rocks and boulders fell at World War II-era storage bunkers in Waikele Gulch, seriously injuring two workers. The men, 50 and 52, were taken to the hospital in serious condition, one with head and arm injuries, the other with leg injuries, Emergency Medical Services said.
Officials said the large rocks tumbled down during the heavy rain at about 12:45 p.m. at 94-990 Pakela St., listed as Storage Solutions Waikele Self Storage.
The city closed Honolulu Zoo at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday due to ponding on sidewalks and persistent rain. Zoo officials will be monitoring the weather and decide early this morning whether to open at 9 a.m.
The Clean Water Branch issued a brown water advisory for Oahu on Tuesday afternoon due to stormwater runoff entering coastal waters. The public is advised to stay out of floodwater and runoff, which could come from overflowing cesspools, sewer systems, manholes and include pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals and flood debris.
The flash flood warning for Kauai County was canceled by 7:25 a.m., but Oahu was under a flash flood warning until
1:15 p.m. Tuesday. Heavy rainfall continued over the windward slopes of the Koolaus as well as the Waianae Coast.
Floodwater entered homes on Upena Street in Makaha, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management reported, as heavy rainfall moved slowly across Oahu just after
9 a.m. Rain rates within a band from Hauula to Ewa were 1 to 2 inches per hour.
Social media images showed flooding on Kamehameha Highway near the Waikane Stream Bridge.
The eastern half of Molokai was placed under a flood advisory Tuesday afternoon, and moderate to heavy rain began spreading over the island, with rainfall rates of up to 2 inches an hour.
A flood advisory for Maui also went into effect Tuesday afternoon.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate’s outlook for the wet season, which runs from October to April, is that “probabilities favor above average rainfall early in the wet season.”
Also, a high surf advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. today for Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and Maui.
Surf is expected to reach heights of 10 to 15 feet on the north and west shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north shores of Oahu, Molokai and Maui. On Oahu and Molokai’s west shores, 8 to 12 feet surf is expected.
