Big Island residents dig out after record deluge

HILO, Hawaii - Cleanup and repair got underway under sunny skies Friday after as much as 3 feet of rain fell in 24 hours on Hawaii, bringing parts of The Big Island to a standstill Thursday.

Civil Defense damage assessment teams were tallying the number of flooded homes and businesses and other losses Friday, said Wendell Hatada, the agency's plans and operations officer.

The highest 24-hour rainfall total was recorded at Kapapala Ranch in Kau on the south side of the island, where 36.99 inches fell. The state record for a 24-hour rainfall is 38 inches, which fell on Jan. 25, 1956, at Kilauea on Kauai, said National Weather Service lead forecaster Roy Matsuda.

At the Hilo airport, 27.83 inches fell between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday, shattering the previous 24-hour record of 22.3 inches in February 1979. The average annual rainfall at Honolulu Airport on Oahu is 22 to 24 inches, Matsuda said.

There have been no reports of any deaths or injuries.

The storm overflowed normally dry gullies and streambeds. Raging floodwaters tore up pavement, washed out bridges and knocked several homes from their foundations. State Highway 11, linking Hilo to the south part of the island, remained closed Friday because several bridges were washed out.

Getting around Hilo, a city of about 40,000, was difficult, but not impossible, due to mud, debris and damaged roadways, Hatada said. Most schools, businesses and government offices were open.