THUNDER, LIGHTENING, AND 27
INCHES OF RAIN IN 24 HOURS
We
lucked out on Sunday April 1 for Easter at the beach, we were pleasantly dry on
a damp Sunday April 8 for Gil’s party, but she, Mother Nature, caught us the
next weekend. We get flash flood
warnings every time it rains. Maybe this
is intended for idiots that try to do Kalalau Trail during storms that need to then
be rescued, making a fine adventure IF they live through it, but putting
rescuers’ lives at risk unnecessarily.
Anyway, most of us keep our
windshield wipers fresh and continue to do our doings. The road to Hanalei closes if the river rises
8 feet. This rise is often compounded
with rain coming off the mountains, down through the valley, and rising tides
where the ocean pushes back at the mouth.
There are phone numbers to call to check on the possible closures any
time.
These alerts in no way hinted at
the ferocity of the coming storm. Saturday
night it rained mercilessly hard, the power went out of course, but we could
see to move around the house because the lightening was virtually
continuous. As was the thunder that
followed – while the noise made it seem
like the house shook, all the pictures were crooked next day. In a lull Sunday morning, we went out for a
bike ride to check out the neighborhood.
Dirty Hanalei Bay
Before we got back home, the second storm hit and after wringing ourselves out, we watched it pour and grumble all day Sunday. Even being at 220+ feet elevation in Princeville. and living basically on porous lava, the water couldn't drain fast enough.
Front
Back
Side
Diversion
The neighbor’s yard was shooting water toward our garage
and mud room. Gil put up a 1x12 that handily diverted it toward the street. Good job!
This
photo (not mine) went viral on the internet – at least here. Gotta love it, the bison that replaced Puff
the Magic Dragon as a Hanalei icon!
On
our bike ride, I took a picture of the golf course with many broken branches
and trees down. That afternoon Gil went
to check on houses of friends who are off island and got a picture at the same spot.
Sunday am - broken trees all the way back
Sunday
afternoon - the little culvert buried
BTW, one of the houses he checked was fine and the other
had water running down the inside from a new roof leaking.
Early
Sunday, Gil had heard all the canoes had been washed away at both canoe clubs
but during the lull between storms someone sent a picture of the canoes, not
washed down the river, but into the trees. That
was the first good news. Some, at least
might be salvageable. No one knew. The road had caved in between the town and
club and no one was even allowed to walk through.
Looking through the tent out to the pile up in the trees
Lull between storms
MONDAY
People
in Hanalei and beyond were stuck. Shop
owners, if they could get there, were pushing mud out their doors. People in
Haena and Wainiha Valley had no water or power in many instances. Residents found the conditions the worst
since previous hurricanes. Tourists were
baffled about getting to the airport or at least to higher ground.
We
can walk to the beach from our house by three paths, two go through the
resorts, and one down by the sewer and a back dirt road. Gil and the boys needed to get to the club so
walked down the track to the river mouth (which was calm). I had walked down to recon and the guys
arrived as I headed back.
Path, beach to left
Gil was startled to see this thousand pound youngster on his way down! While she will end up on a grill, right now she is just confused after the surprise swim down river
Here is
another one that was rescued from the bay
River mouth - small boats and jet skis were transporting people and goods back and forth
Passengers
Supplies, personal donations, all aloha. That tangle of hau trunks in the bay looks suspiciously like what had been stuck at the bend in the river recently
Back home I checked on people
that were stranded and some were OK; water coming back on, and others
waiting to get airlifted out. Gil got a jet-ski
ride, Jim swam, and others paddled stand-ups across the river to the club. Once there, they assessed damage, cleaned up and moved
things around best they could now that the water had receded.
They felt like they were playing pick up sticks
(heavy pick up sticks)
Six man broken
God knows it could have been worse, like the first report that said they had all washed out
This one-man rack had floated across the yard toward the
river, fully loaded. Some boats were damaged, others were not - random.
This one is obviously not fixable.
Slot at left where the
rack floated out from! We were just
impressed it held together as well as it did.
TUESDAY
What
a difference a day makes. We jammed to
Lihue for supplies and saw military convoys with zodiacs and supply trucks
heading to the north shore. Helicopters have been
non-stop for days now. We knew Kauai’s
north shore was hit hardest and were surprised to see aftermath from Anahola
bridge.
Anahola Stream - somebody got it cleared quickly
In the afternoon we both went to
the club and carried out our personal canoes (stopped at the road block by county guys, parked in a friend's yard, then
stopped again by police, we made our way through private back yards that gave us access to the club). I wandered around
trying to absorb the scale of damage.
One
of the back yards, double damage here
Same house, other side
The road to Black Pot Beach, the water chooses its own path. Incredible no injuries have been reported.
Ever
take a shower at Black Pot? The shower is standing although the privacy screen is nowhere to be seen. We've all complained about this restroom - conceivably it will be replaced and be nice again some day.
Trailer parking at park, across from club. This asphalt road dives into the same sinkhole that ate up the restroom building and trucks above.
Pilikoa - our gates are good but the road is gone. Sinkholes both ends of pavement.
Gaylord's house at beach - front and side look perfectly normal but I went around back and saw the whole lanai hanging in the air. The water chose to make its way to the sea and nothing could stop it.
Gaylord's neighbor on the beach toward the river. These houses may never recover.
Paniolo patrol - rides to cars, etc.
Home front - boat's in dry dock (we hope) as a new storm coming
The crack on my Naia, Ahhh. Could have been broken in half - this is lucky
