HONOLULU (AP) — All of Hawaii faced a flash flood watch Monday, a day after Honolulu firefighters rescued three people trapped on a highway by fast-moving floodwaters.
The National Weather Service said widespread heavy rain and thunderstorms were expected in the islands after rain over the weekend had already saturated many areas, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported .
On Sunday, a woman and child inside a minivan and a man inside a pickup truck were surrounded by up to 3 feet (0.91 meters) of water when firefighters arrived, according to a statement released by the Honolulu Fire Department. A third car also was stalled but wasn’t occupied.
The water was moving around 17 mph fire Capt. Kevin Mokulehua said.
A bystander drove a small bulldozer into the water to get the firefighters closer to the stranded motorists, who were then given life vests and secured to rescue boards with ropes.
The bulldozer then moved the motorists on rescue boards to safety. No injuries were reported.
The Honolulu Fire Department responded to more than 30 weather-related incidents over the weekend, Mokulehua said.