Flooding Hits Parts of Oahu, But Tropical Storm Warning Ends

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Photo by Freeimages.com/Fred Green

by The Associated Press, July 25, 2016

HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical storm warnings for Oahu and Kauai were called off Monday as the system moved away from Hawaii, but flash flood watches were still in effect.

Moderate to heavy rain was swamping parts of Oahu where downpours had already hit, and flooding was expected to persist in areas where drainage was poor, emergency management officials said.

Honolulu police urged drivers to stay off roadways amid flooding that began late Sunday on the H-1 Freeway and some other major thoroughfares. The freeway's westbound lanes remain closed.

Fire officials said crews had responded to dozens of weather-related incidents, KHON-TV reported. They say that included 59 calls for water evacuation due to flooding.

A sanitary sewer near the Ala Moana Shopping Center also overflowed, spilling more than 1,000 gallons before crews stopped it late Sunday. State officials will put up signs and gather water samples Monday.

Tropical Storm Darby, which is about 65 miles northwest of Lihue, Kauai, was expected to keep getting weaker and become a tropical depression later Monday.

The National Weather Service said heavy rain was still a threat and surf on the two islands' eastern shores could reach up to 8 feet. Rip currents would make swimming dangerous, officials warned.

The Kauai mayor's office said no road closures or damage were reported a day after Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. signed an emergency proclamation.

Some damage occurred on the Big Island from the storm that hit there first. A 70-foot vessel with 300 gallons of diesel aboard broke from its mooring and sank Sunday, sending debris onto shore.

State officials and the Coast Guard responded, and the boat's owner is arranging cleanup.

The Red Cross says more than 200 people stayed in shelters on Oahu overnight and more stayed in the facilities Friday and Saturday across the islands.

 

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