Parks stay closed due to weather, wind

KAILUA-KONA — County and state beach parks remained closed Sunday due to high winds from a passing storm.

The County of Hawaii closed all beach parks to public access Saturday and state parks followed suit Sunday morning. Both said they’ll remain closed pending further notice.

A low pressure system described as “an unusually strong storm system” brought multiple weather hazards over the weekend. Rain fell beginning Sunday afternoon around West Hawaii.

The entire state remained under a high wind warning late Sunday. The worst of the weather was supposed to pass through by today.

“A powerful storm system will pass by just north of the islands today and tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a statement Sunday. “This will result in large, destructive surf, locally damaging winds, and periods of squally showers across most of the state. Unsettled weather may persist into the middle of next week as the storm lingers to the northeast of the state, with a more typical trade wind weather pattern developing later in the week.”

Schools on the Big Island are currently scheduled to be open today, but that could change.

Large branches fell across power lines on Loloa Drive in North Kona, downing live wires and sparking a car fire in John and Twila Uina’s front yard Sunday afternoon.

Uina attempted to douse the fire with a fire extinguisher and keep the flames from spreading until the Hawaii County Fire Department responded. No structures were affected, however a temporary evacuation of surrounding homes was ordered due to a potential gas leak, and the road was closed for around an hour.

Power interruptions were reported across West Hawaii.

The county asked the public to listen to the radio for Civil Defense updates.