Hawaii County is urging residents to take precautions in advance of heavy rainfall predicted for the next several days.
Starting this morning, a flood watch for all the Hawaiian Islands will be in effect until at least 6 p.m. Saturday, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a 100% chance of heavy rain for all of today and Friday, and a 90% chance on Saturday.
The NWS forecast also predicts “possibly a thunderstorm” every day through Saturday, with winds from the southeast ranging from 6 mph to 18 mph, and gusts as high as 25 mph.
According to a statement from the office of Mayor Mitch Roth, the county is anticipating up to 20 inches of rainfall over the next three days, and warns that some roads in flood-prone areas might be closed.
The statement adds that Hilo, Puna and Ka‘u, as well as the Hamakua Coast, will be the most severely impacted.
“We’re expecting a lot of rain over a condensed period and are asking residents to prepare for that,” Roth said in the statement. “Rainfall is nothing new to us, but as we look at the impacts we’ve had from similar events over the past couple of years, it’s better to be safe than sorry. We’ve seen the benefits of community preparedness and trust that the community will always do what is in the best interest of each other and our collective safety.”
A message from Hawaii County Civil Defense on Wednesday afternoon advised that residents in flood-prone areas should prepare their properties for possible floods, and that outdoor events could be cancelled with little to no warning.
Roth’s statement added that, as of Wednesday afternoon, no county outdoor events had been cancelled yet.
Civil Defense also advised that Waipio Valley Road will be closed to all but Waipio Valley residents and farmers until Sunday, and that the Hele-On Park & Ride in Hilo will relocate from Kamehameha Avenue to Kuawa Street until Monday morning.