Beach parks closed, rainfall continues
All Hawaii County and state beach parks will remain closed Monday due to inclement weather and hazardous conditions, officials said.
A flood watch is slated to remain in effect through Tuesday afternoon as a kona low west of the state continues to fuel heavy rainfall across the Hawaiian Islands.
“Rain events of this size can cause catastrophic flooding and affect areas that do not usually flood. Low spots in roads will become dangerous and impassable due to severe runoff. Debris in streams and gulches may clog bridges and culverts resulting in dangerous flooding. Numerous landslides are expected in areas with steep terrain,” the National Weather Service said Monday.
Periods of heavy rainfall are forecast to continue as a large band of heavy showers associated with the low slowly drifts westward affecting all islands through Tuesday afternoon. Additional rainfall totals in the 5 to 10 inch range are expected with locally higher amounts possible.
Over the past 24 hours, significant rainfall has been recorded over the eastern half of the state.
As of 8:45 a.m. Monday, Keaumo and Nene Cabin on the southeast slopes of the Big Island saw nearly 9 inches of rain while areas around Hilo and Mountain View saw 3 to 4 inches of rain.
On Maui, Kula saw over 12 inches of rain while Kihei recorded almost 5 inches.
Forecasters said 4 inches of snow could fall over Big Island summits through this evening. A blizzard warning in effect over the weekend has been replaced by a winter weather advisory.
A high surf advisory is also in effect for north-facing shores. Wave heights of 14 to 18 feet are forecast through Monday afternoon.
