March 23 (UPI) — A flood watch remains in effect for parts of Hawaii after two days of heavy rain led to serious flooding, totaled cars, destroyed homes and damaged infrastructure.
A kona low — a seasonal Hawaiian cyclone — caused widespread destruction as the island chain was hit by its heaviest rainstorm in roughly two decades, NBC and USA Today reported.
Residents in some neighborhoods have been started to clean up, including on the North Shore communities of Haleiwa and Waialua, where some were trapped in the houses as floodwaters raced in reaching at least waist high, KHON-2 reported.
“Everyone’s kind of in the street, just shoveling out mud and pulling out soaking debris and doing whatever they can to kind of start drying things out,” Wailua Beach resident Mac Burton said.
“But we’re still without power here, so it’s making some of those efforts a little more difficult,” Burton said.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said repairs to airports, schools, roads and other facilities, along with clean-up that has just started moving, could cost more than $1 billion.
Clean-up is likely to take months, Burton said.
A boil water issue has stayed in effect because of damage to the water system and the state’s board of water supply has been making water tankers available to people in areas where the water is unusable.
“Residents and visitors are urged to stay vigilant, avoid hazardous areas and follow official guidance as impacts continue,” the Hawaiian government said in an Instagram post.
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