Kona low weakening; Piʻilani Hwy remains closed between ʻUlupalakua and Nuʻu

Piʻilani Highway remained closed between ʻUlupalakua and Nuʻu on Friday morning after a kona low resulted in heavy rain and flooding in East Maui on Thursday.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for the system to gradually weaken throughout Friday, with scattered heavy showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms remaining in the forecast for Maui. A Flood Watch remains in effect through 6 p.m. for the entire state.

A more stable air mass will gradually develop over the weekend as high pressure builds north of the islands, according to NWS.

An American Red Cross emergency shelter that opened Thursday evening at Eddie Tam Memorial Center in Makawao was closed at midnight Thursday after no one showed up. Another emergency shelter that was opened at Hāna High and Elementary School on Thursday morning was closed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday after flooding subsided and state Department of Transportation crews cleared landslides and debris from Hāna Highway in East Maui.

County officials reported that flooding mitgation tools deployed ahead of the kona low successfully helped prevent ash runoff into the storm drain system in West Maui.