Preliminary rainfall data indicate some areas on the Big Island received more than 30 inches of rain in the three days that Hurricane Lane struck the island.
Despite approaching the west side of the island, Lane has deposited substantially more rain on the east side of the island. While some windward rain gauges recorded more than 10 inches of rain Thursday alone, most leeward gauges recorded less than an inch of rain.
Mayor Harry Kim said Thursday that he anticipated the storm’s impact to Kona to be worse, but many predicted effects never materialized.
“Nature plays her tricks,” Kim said. “What’s good for one side is bad for the other.”
Kim said 40 National Guard personnel were sent to help with evacuations of Alii Drive if necessary, but were not needed.
National Weather Service meteorologist Gavin Shigesato said the reason for this counter-intuitive weather pattern is simply a case of the island’s typical weather dynamics. In the same way trade winds cause moisture and clouds to condense against the east side of the island’s mountains, Hurricane Lane drove a prodigious amount of moisture against the mountains to fall as rain on the Hilo side.
As of Friday evening, slow-moving Lane had been downgraded to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, with the center of the storm about 160 miles west of Kailua-Kona.
With Lane traveling northwest at a mere 3 mph, the National Weather Service predicts little improvement in the weather for the foreseeable future.
Forecasts for the weekend estimate a 90 percent chance of heavy rain — a slight decrease from the 100 percent chances of previous days — with winds about 20 mph. Flash flood warnings continue to be in effect for the east side of the island, with a high surf advisory scheduled to conclude at 6 p.m. today, although an extension of the advisory is probable.
Reporters Tom Callis and John Burnett contributed to this story.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Rainfall totals
National Weather Service meteorologist Gavin Shigesato emphasized that the following numbers are preliminary and have not undergone NWS quality control. Furthermore, numbers from certain rain gauges might not reflect the actual rainfall of the area, while other rain gauges might have been disabled by the storm. All figures are in inches. Totals are from between 2:45 p.m. Tuesday and 2:45 p.m. Friday.
Kawainui Stream: 14.89
Kamuela Upper: 5.66
Kamuela: 5.24
Honokaa: N/A
Puu Mali: 11.27
Laupahoehoe: 0.35*
Hakalau: 17.6*
Papaikou Well: 1.12*
Saddle Quarry: 35.11
Piihonua: 3.3*
Waiakea Uka: 3.36*
Waiakea Experiment Station*
Hilo Airport: 21.06
Pahoa: 10.23
Mountain View: 14.38*
Glenwood: 15.36
Kulani: 16.81
Leeward Sites
Mauna Loa Observation Station: 4.05
Keaumo: 14.62
Kealakomo: 3.35
Pali: 6.51
Kapapala: 9.05
Kapapala Ranch: 9.56
Pahala: 8.12
Nene Cabin: 9.06
South Point: N/A
Lower Kahuku: 0.72*
Kahuku Ranch: 1.6
Puho: 0.33
Honaunau: 0.62
Kealakekua 0.6
Waiaha: 0.49
Kaloko-Konokohau: 0.23
Kona International Airport: 0.21
Kiholo: 0.39
Kaupulehu: 0.42
Puuanahulu: 0.76
Puu Waawaa: 0.57
Pohakuloa Kipuka Alala: 1.51
Pohakuloa West: 1.06
Pohakuloa Keamuku: 0.82
Ahumoa: 1.84
Waikii: 1.66
Waikoloa: 0.57
Kawaihae: N/A
Puhe: 0.02
Kohala Ranch: 0.75
Kahua Ranch: 4.16
*one or more data sets missing
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Other developments Friday:
• Mayor Harry Kim said Friday evening he intends to keep the Emergency Operation Center open at least another 24 hours.
“Our threat is not wind, not surf, but rain,” Kim said.
Kim said crews checked flood channels and wells before the storm to ensure they were free from blockages, which helped reduce flooding.
Kim said the county will have to wait for the rain to subside to assess damage to county facilities; however, the Army Corps of Engineers will check the county’s infrastructure by Monday.
However, Kim was pleased to say no fatalities have been reported as a result of the storm.
“And that is the most grateful thing,” he said.
• Civil Defense administrator Talmadge Magno said county teams conducted damage assessments Friday.
“As long as this rain is coming down, I guess the threat of landslides is going to continue,” Magno said.
• Several roads were temporarily closed Friday because of hurricane activity. These included Saddle Road (closed because of landslide), Highway 19 (closed in parts because of landslide and in other parts from flooding and debris) and Akoni Pule Highway (closed because of landslide).
• As of Friday evening, four residents remained in the Waiakea High School shelter, six in the Hookena Elementary School shelter, two in the Kamehameha Park gym, two in the Waikoloa Elementary and Intermediate School shelter and two in the Kealakehe High School Shelter.
• Hawaii Electric Light Co. reported Friday afternoon that about 9,500 customers around the island experienced power outages throughout the day, but power had been restored to most of them.
