Power Outage in Kailua, HI

Lightning strikes on Oahu led to power outages from Honolulu to Hauula. Power was restored after several hours for most locales as lines were repaired.

Lightning strikes on Oahu led to power outages from Honolulu to Hauula. Power was restored after several hours for most locales as lines were repaired.

Maunaloa Avenue in Kaimuki in East Oahu was closed between 8th and 9th Streets because of downed power lines.

Waikane Stream overflowed its banks in windward Oahu because of heavy rain and flooded Kamehameha Highway in its vicinity. Several schools on Oahu closed for the day because of the many flooded roads and power outages.

A lightning strike brought down a power line in Kailua in windward Oahu. The line came to rest on parked vehicles, where a man with a fire extinguisher tried to put out the smoldering debris. He touched one of the vehicles and was severely shocked by the arcing line.

A National Weather Service Honolulu Damage Survey team confirmed a waterspout moved ashore as an EF0 tornado in Lanikai and tracked southwest, impacting portions of the Enchanted Lakes subdivision in Kailua on Oahu. Several roofs were damaged or destroyed, trees were downed, road signs were mangled, and power lines were snapped.

A large tree branch fell and hit power lines on Kalihi Street in Honolulu. Hawaiian Electric reported about 30 customers were without power.

Around 60,000 customers in east Oahu lost electrical power after lightning struck two major transmission lines that serve the Pukele and Koolau substations.

Around 60,000 customers in east Oahu lost electrical power after lightning struck two major transmission lines that serve the Pukele and Koolau substations.

A cold front with good upper level support pushed its way through the island chain around the Christmas holiday, bringing periods of heavy precipitation, isolated thunderstorms, and strong to high winds. The weather system caused a flash flood and felled trees and power poles, especially on the Garden Isle of Kauai. No significant injuries were reported.

With a front approaching Kauai from the northwest, a surface trough near the Big Island, and a slow-moving upper level disturbance; heavy showers and thunderstorms formed as the features acted on abundant moisture. Rainfall affected most of the isles, with flash flooding occurring in Kauai and on the Big Island. However, no serious injuries were reported. Minor property damage occurred on Oahu as a thunderstorm with gusty winds felled a tree west of Pearl Harbor in the late evening of the 18th, and a car was damaged by a falling branch and a tree uprooted in Waipio; and there were minor power outages during the same time frame.

As Tropical Storm Olivia approached the islands from the east-northeast and then made a double landfall in Maui County on September 12th, it brought gusty winds and heavy precipitation. Most of its effects were concentrated over Maui, Molokai, and Oahu. The system downed trees, caused power outages and debris flows, and generated flash flooding. The costs of damages had not yet been assessed. There were no reports of serious injuries.

With Hurricane Lane just west of the Big Island of Hawaii, and south of Maui County and Oahu, torrential rain fell over parts of the state, especially the Big Island. Flash flooding was the most serious weather problem, with parts of the Big Island seeing total rainfall of 40 to 50 inches. (One site, the Kahuna Falls Cooperative Observer Program station, reported 56 inches.) Strong winds also downed trees and power lines, leading to power outages on most isles. The total cost of damages has not yet been assessed, though at least $20 million in damages occurred to public infrastructure on the Big Island. There were no reports of serious injuries.

A developing upper low northwest of the state, in combination with tropical moisture, induced periods of heavy showers and thunderstorms, and generated historic flash flooding conditions over the Garden Isle of Kauai. An apparent 24-hour rainfall total of 49.69 inches, ending at 1245 HST April 15th, was recorded at an automated rain gauge|in Waipa, Kauai, about a mile west of Hanalei. If this total is certified, it will be a new 24-hour rainfall record for the United States, beating the old record of about 43 inches in Alvin, TX, on July 25-26, 1979.||The deluge, mainly over northern Kauai but also affecting East Oahu, damaged or destroyed farms and various structures, including 532 homes; downed trees and power lines; flooded homes, businesses and vehicles; and closed and damaged numerous roadways with water and debris flows, with highway and road repairs estimated at $35 million. There were apparently no significant injuries, but material losses will be extremely exorbitant, with public property damages alone estimated at $19.7 million. Hawaii's state legislature already approved, as of April 25th, $100 million in relief aid for flood-ravaged communities on Kauai and Oahu. (The aid package was later increased to $125 million.).

A moist low-level flow and instability aloft brought downpours and thunderstorms to the island chain, and periods of flash flooding. Gusty winds and lightning also caused damage over portions of the Big Island on the 26th; including a couple of roofs blown off homes, downed trees and power lines, and a small fire at the Hilo Medical Center caused by lightning. And there were reports of small hail on the isle that day as well. The cost of damages was not available. No significant injuries were reported.

With a weakening front over the islands and an upper low northwest of Kauai, heavy showers and thunderstorms developed over the state. Drenching rain led to periods of flash flooding over several isles, and gusty winds downed trees and power lines. The cost of any damages was not available. ||A man on the Big Island of Hawaii perished, apparently from being tossed violently by gusty winds associated with a thunderstorm in the later evening on the 18th of February. No other fatalities or serious injuries were reported.

A combustible mix of surface and upper air instability, and deep tropical moisture, brought periods of strong winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and flash flooding to parts of the Aloha State. Lightning strikes led to power outages, and gusty winds toppled trees and power lines. A woman on Oahu was injured as a tree toppled over onto a bus stop structure where she was standing on the 23rd. No other injuries were reported. The cost of damages was not available.

The combination of a nearby surface low and upper trough brought heavy showers and thunderstorms to parts of the Aloha State, mainly Kauai, Oahu, and Maui. Some of the rainfall was enough to cause flash flooding in a few instances. However, there were no reports of serious injuries. The total cost of damages was not known, but a report about flooding at Waimea Valley Park on Oahu on the 28th of February indicated damages in the $10's of thousands. The system also downed trees and power lines in leeward Oahu in the early morning hours of the 1st. This is a continuation of an episode that began at the end of February.

A front moving through the state produced heavy rain and thunderstorms, flash flooding, and gusty winds. Downed power lines and trees, and ponding on roadways were almost commonplace occurrences with the system. However, there were no reports of serious injuries. The total cost of any damages was not available.

A front brought gusty southwest winds and periods of heavy rain to the island chain. The winds downed power lines that resulted in more than 25,000 customers losing electricity for a time in Oahu's windward side. They also toppled trees and damaged roofs in the area and on other islands. In Maui County, a ferry between Lanai and Lahaina on Maui was halted because of rough seas from the winds, and two sailboats ran aground. There were no reports of serious injuries, however.

Tropical Storm Darby affected the island chain with high surf, gusty winds, and heavy downpours; from the Big Island to Kauai. Some of the precipitation resulted in flash flooding. There were power outages, and downed trees and power poles in parts of the Big Island and Oahu. However, there were no reports of significant injuries. The cost of damages was not available.||Surf heights varied around the island chain, though affected east-facing shores were on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. Most surf was in the 8 to 12-foot range, with some Big Island beaches seeing heights as high as 20 feet on the 22nd and 23rd.

A cold front with gusty winds, the second in a week, moved through the Aloha State. This system also brought more precipitation than the previous one. Two injuries during this episode were severe enough to send two individuals to the hospital. As was the case during the earlier frontal passage, the winds brought down power lines, power poles, and trees; damaged roofs, and closed roadways because of debris on the surfaces. The total cost of damages was not available.

A front with strong winds, thunderstorms, and heavy rain moved quickly from west to east across the island chain. Winds over the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii were greater than 100 mph as the system made its passage. Trees and power lines were downed by blustery winds across the state, and many roofs were destroyed. The total cost of damages was not available. There were no reports of significant injuries.

The impacts of Tropical Storm Iselle were mainly sustained over the east and southeast portions of the Big Island of Hawaii, in the Puna and Kau Districts. Although there were no reports of significant injuries or fatalities from Iselle, preliminary reports from the isle listed more than 200 homes and several businesses with at least some damage, and 116 infrastructure problems (including downed utility poles and power lines, and damaged roads). Agriculture was affected most especially, with around 50% of the state's papaya crop destroyed, at an estimated loss of $55 million. The storm also caused damage to other crops; including flowers, macadamia nuts, and coffee. Total costs of damages were not available, but a local private economist said a ballpark estimate for total losses by the state were between $148 million and $325 million.||Additionally, swells from Iselle and Hurricane Julio generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island.

Flossie, downgraded to tropical depression status as it neared Maui at 1700 HST on the 29th, affected the state from July 28th through the 30th, though high surf continued through the 31st on the Big Island of Hawaii. The system brought surf of 8 to 15 feet along east-facing shores of most islands, thunderstorms, heavy rain and a flash flood, and wind. One man was injured by lightning on Maui, and power outages occurred on the Big Island, Maui, and Molokai. The cost of damages was not available.

A cold front moving through the island chain brought strong winds and heavy showers. The winds downed power lines and trees, and snapped a tree branch which injured a couple of visitors from the mainland in Waikiki at the International Market Place. The winds became very powerful at higher elevations, especially over the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island. The rain produced only nuisance flooding on Oahu.

A cold front moving from the northwest brought periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms to the island chain from Kauai to Maui. Especially hard hit was Oahu, where locally strong winds from heavy showers and thunderstorms in the morning hours of the 4th of March knocked down trees and utility pools in the Ewa area and other places around the isle. This resulted in power outages which affected thousands of residents. There were no serious injuries reported.

A cold front, in combination with an upper trough, brought heavy showers, rain, and thunderstorms to parts of the Aloha State. The systems also generated snow for the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of serious injuries. The weather did cause flooding problems for some residents, power and phone outages, and downed trees. The costs of the damages were not available.

Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms affected the island of Oahu, from Haleiwa to Kaneohe to Honolulu. Deep ponding occurred on many roadways, and wind and lightning caused power outages that impacted about 3000 Oahu residents. A home in Heeia was flooded when a nearby storm drain overflowed. Damage estimates were not available. No serious injuries were reported.

Severe thunderstorms struck Oahu in the late evening of the 8th and early morning of the 9th of January. There were many reports of frequent lightning and strong gusty winds as the storms moved through the area. Trees were uprooted, and branches and fencing blown down. The storms also caused power outages in several areas. There were no serious injuries reported. No damage estimates were available.

Heavy showers, rain, and thunderstorms with a cold front caused flooding over a good portion of the island of Oahu. Newspaper reports indicated problems from Waianae and Nanakuli in the west, to Mililani and Wahiawa in the central area, to Waikane and Kailua in the windward section, and to Honolulu and Hawaii Kai in the east. The rain produced flash flooding and mudslides that closed roadways, and damaged homes and businesses. The stormy weather was also responsible for several power outages across the isle. No serious injuries were reported. Cost of damages was not available.

Intermittent heavy rain, showers, and isolated thunderstorms caused occasional mudslides that forced lane closures on some roadways across Oahu, most particularly Pali Highway near Kamehameha Highway, and Kaneohe Bay Drive. Power outages also occurred from time to time in many parts of the island. Backups of sewer lines, as well, caused raw sewage to be spilled into a few streets and streams. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

Heavy showers caused ponding of roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding in windward sections of Oahu. Also, flooding near the Waikane bridge closed Kamehameha Highway between Waiahole Valley and Waikane Valley roads at around 1615 and 2115 on the 29th. Isolated power outages occurred in windward areas as well, along with minor flooding in the lower levels of some homes. No serious injuries were reported, however.

A fire scorched about 1100 acres of old sugar cane and pineapple fields near Waialua on Oahu. Several homes near the blaze had to be evacuated as a precaution, as flames came within 20 feet of three residences in Poamoho Estates and within 100 yards of homes along Hukilau Loop. The fire downed some power lines, which caused sporadic outages in a few nearby neighborhoods and at Schofield Barracks. It also forced occasional closures of roads and highways around Waialua and Thomson Corner, slowing and snarling traffic at times. County and military firefighters fought the blaze, with the help of one county and two Army Blackhawk helicopters. The fire had started during the evening of the 23rd, near the University of Hawaii's Poamoho Experiment Station off Kaukonahua Road, although its cause was not known. There were no serious injuries or property damage.

A fire burned 30 acres of brush near Haleiwa, threatening homes and businesses. The fire started on the east side of the Joseph P. Leong Highway and then jumped the highway to the west, moving within 50 feet of historic homes and stores near the North Shore Market Place. Firefighters evacuated 25 businesses as a precaution. The blaze also took out six utility poles, cutting power to 3700 customers in Waialua and Haleiwa. Smoke and flames, as well, forced police to shut down the Joseph P. Leong and Kamehameha highways in both directions for two hours. In the end, the fire did not cause any injuries, or damage to homes or businesses. The cause of the blaze was unknown, but fire officials believed it was suspicious.

A lightning strike damaged a home in Ewa Beach on Oahu, and cut the power for several hours. No damage estimates were available.

Remnant showers from a shear line moving through Hawaii brought more nuisance flooding,ponding of roadways, and occasional power failures to windward Oahu and parts of East Oahu. The rains also loosened the soil enough in the higher elevations around Waialae Nui that a large boulder broke free and nearly hit a home in the neighborhood along Malu Street. However, no serious property damage or injuries were reported islandwide.

An upper air low north of the Hawaiian Islands generated heavy showers and thunderstorms from southeast Oahu to central parts of the isle. Several roadways flooded to depths of 2 to 3 feet. Fast-moving water carried debris--mud and small rocks--onto a portion of the H-1 Freeway, closing two of three west-bound lanes for a few hours in the middle and later afternoon. High-velocity water flow caused similar problems in Makiki Heights, Nuuanu, and Pearl City, according to county civil defense officials.The heavy rains were likely a contributing factor in the death of a 50-year-old woman and the injury of a man in a collision between two vehicles on the H-2 Freeway near Mililani. The woman's car crossed a landscaped highway divider on the slick roadway and crashed into an oncoming van, injuring the male driver. The woman died at the scene.Along with flash-flood conditions, small hail was reported at sea level at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii near Kaneohe. Lastly, lightning strikes knocked out power for more than 3500 customers of Hawaiian Electric.

Heavy rain and thundershowers produced street and small stream flooding in eastern and central Oahu. Lightning and wind gusts to near 40 mph caused some power outages and tree limbs to fall on electrical lines and roadways. Eight townhouses in a Waikele subdivision were extensively damaged by flooding. No estimates of the damage were available, but it was likely that repairs to the homes would cost tens of thousands of dollars.