Maui Flood Warnings, Watches and Advisories 3/9/12

Aftermath of landslides along Hana Highway this morning. Crews got debris off the road before sunrise, 3/9/12. Photo courtesy County of Maui.

By Wendy Osher

(Update: 11:50 a.m. 3/9/12) The Hana Highway (360) is now OPEN. The road was closed in Kailua near Mile Marker 7 earlier today because of weather related debris, rocks and mud on the roadway. The Highway is now passable.

(11:30 a.m. 3/9/12) The Flash Flood Warning for Maui has since been cancelled. Heavy rains have ended and stream levels have receded. Hana Highway 360, has been reopened. Debris is still on portions of the road but it is no longer flooded. A Flash Flood Watch for Maui County remains in effect through late tonight.

(Update: 9:16 a.m. 3/9/12) A Flash Flood Warning has been extended for Maui until 12:15 p.m. At 9 a.m., forecasters from the National Weather Service reported that radar showed rainfall had ended over East Maui, but runoff levels remain high. The Warning includes Keanae, Nahiku, Hana and Kipahulu.

(Update: 9:12 a.m. 3/9/12) Electrical service has been restored to customers in the Hana area as of 9:03 a.m. An outage first reported at 1:20 a.m., and affected parts of Nahiku through Hana town to Koali. MECO officials said the cause of the outage was unknown at last report, but is likely storm-related.

(Update: 8:05 a.m. 3/9/12) The Hana Highway (Hwy 360) remains closed from Mile Marker 7 at Kailua, headed east to Hana Town. Residents of Hana town are being allowed to exit Hana toward Kahului, but should drive with extreme caution. State and county crews remain on scene, where they are working to clean several rock and land slides.

(Update: 7:51 a.m. 3/9/12) There is a power outage stretching from Nahiku to Hana Town. Crews are headed to the area, but access was hampered by the earlier impassibility of the Hana Highway. Once crews arrive on scene, the outage will be assessed, and crews will work to get customers back online as quickly and as safely as possible. The outage was first reported at 1:20 a.m., and affected parts of Nahiku through Hana town to Koali. MECO spokesperson Kau’i Awai-Dickson said the cause of the outage is yet unknown, but is likely storm-related.

Satellite imagery courtesy NOAA & NWS 3/9/12 5:30 a.m.

(Update: 7:53 a.m. 3/9/12) The Kamehameha Schools’ preschool in Hana on Maui is closed due to extreme weather and potential flood conditions. It is among eight closures for Kamehameha; the others are Kamehameha preschools on other islands in Hale’iwa, Wai’alae, He‘eia, Waimanalo, Kahalu‘u and Kahuku, O‘ahu, and in Anahola, Kaua’i.

(Update: 7:48 a.m. 3/9/12) A Flash Flood Warning for Maui has been extended until 9:15 a.m. At 6:11 a.m., radar showed heavy rains continuing over the East-facing slopes of Haleakala. Forecasters with the National Weather Service say the rain also spread over to the south-facing slopes, and will affect low-water crossings along the Piilani Highway. Heavy rain along the Hana Highway has been the most intense between Hana town and Keanae. Other locations in the warning include Paia, Nahiku, Kaupo, Kipahulu and Kula.

Maui police closed off Hana Highway at Kaupakalua Road but left one lane open for people heading town-bound. Photo courtesy County of Maui.

(Update: 6:52 a.m. 3/9/12) A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Maui until 7:30 a.m. At around 6:30 a.m., radar indicated severe thunderstorms capable of producing quarter size hail. The storm was located 4 miles south of Nahiku, or 23 miles east of Kahlui, and was moving north at 10 mph. Locations potentially impacted include the Hana Highway from Huleo to Nahiku.

(Update: 6:26 a.m. 3/9/12) The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Maui County in effect until 10 a.m. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Individuals in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms produce winds of 58 mph or higher. This Watch includes Kahului and the following adjacent coastal waters: Maui County windward and leeward waters, Maalaea Bay, Pailolo channel, and Alenuihaha Channel.

(Update: 6:07 a.m. 3/9/12) A Flash Flood Warning remains in effect for the island of Maui until 8:30 a.m.  At 5:18 a.m., portions of the Hana Highway remained closed due to heavy rainfall that occurred overnight.  Many streams also continue to have elevated water levels due to the heavy rainfall.  Radar continued to show heavy rains near Hana in East Maui. The area of rain was nearly stationary. Other locations in the advisory include Nahiku and Keanae.  At 2:24 a.m., a gauge on the Waihee River showed a rapid rise in water level from heavy rain near Waiehu.  Once the Warning passes, a Flood Watch will remain in effect through 6 a.m. on Saturday.  A surface trough in the vicinity of Maui is forecast to move west through Saturday.

(Update: 1:19 a.m. 3/9/12) On the Roadways, the Hana Hwy (360) has been CLOSED since early this morning from Kaupakalua Rd out to Hana Town due to weather related problems including: landslides, high raising water across bridges, power lines down, and trees blocking the roadway. The closure went into effect at 1:19 a.m. this morning.

(Update: 9:03 p.m. 3/9/12) Boil Water Advisory Issued for Central and South Maui:  The Maui Department of Water Supply is recommending that customers in the Central and South Maui areas boil water before consumption due to possible contamination from flooding. Affected areas include Kahului, Wailuku, Paia, Spreckelsville, Waihee, Waikapu, Puunene, Kihei, Wailea, Makena, and Maalaea. “At this time,” DWS officials say, “there are no water quality violations; the advisory is a precautionary measure for public health and safety purposes.”  More info is available at the following LINK.

***Supporting information courtesy NOAA & NWS.