PHOTOS: Hurricane Iselle – Before & After

Despite being a relatively weak hurricane, Iselle did more than her fair share of damage.  Here is a brief summary of pictures chronicling the storm’s arrival and aftermath.

The Day Before

On Wednesday morning, Aug. 7, our Big Island Now writers took a brief break from covering the storm to snap some photos of an eerily quiet and beautiful Hilo day.

Downtown Hilo, the day before Hurricane Iselle struck. Photo by Nate Gaddis.

Meanwhile, Wailuku River calmly bubbled along, steadily carrying water from the mountains to the ocean as it has for centuries.

Wailuku River runs calmly a day before Hurricane Iselle. Photo by Nate Gaddis.

 Arrival of the Storm

A day later, as rain began to fall, Wailuku River looked much different.

Wailuku River rages as rain begins to fall during Hurricane Iselle. Photo by Nate Gaddis.

High winds and heavy rainfall began to hit East Hawai`i.

High winds and heavy rain begin to whip downtown Hilo. Photo by Wainani.

The Aftermath

Although tens of thousands of Big Island residents experienced power outages and high winds, nowhere was hit harder than Puna.

Trees and power lines could be seen downed everywhere.

A utility pole sits severed along a roadway in Leilani Estates. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

A house sits surrounded buy felled trees in Hawaiian Paradise Park. Big Island Now reader submission.

Cleanup

Hawaii National Guard soldiers joined with Hawaiian Electric Company and Hawai`i County Employees to assist with tree removal and power restoration.

A Humvee from the Hawai`i National Guard sits along the side of a road in Leilani Estates. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

Some Puna residents managed to maintain a good sense of humor during the cleanup. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

A worker picks through debris while clearing power lines in Leilani Estates. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

A Puna street sign sits tangled in electrical wiring.

A Puna street sign, dangerously tangled up in utility wires. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

No Rainbows Here

Rainbow Falls continues to empty out the remnants of Hurricane Iselle’s heavy rainfall.

Rainbow Falls state park sits closed as the remnants of Hurricane Iselle wash through East Hawai`i’s network of streams and rivers. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

Here’s a previous photo of Rainbow Falls for comparison.

Rainbow Falls, shot in May 2014. Photo by Debbie Adams Wynn.

An uprooted tree floats lifeless in Hilo Bay. Photo by Nate Gaddis.