What a storm: Rain, Hail, Snow, Wind, Flooding, Thunder & Lightning batter the Big Island
A cold front sweeping the Hawaiian Islands has brought with it a wide range of weather, from rain to hail to snow.
On Sunday night, the storm moved into parts of the Big Island with heavy rains and high winds battering North and West Hawaiʻi communities.
In North Kohala, Sadie Young captured flooding across Akoni Pule Highway at mile marker 10 in Hawī.
“It was quite a sight to see those rivers,” the 45-year resident said Monday, adding she was currently socked in a cloud at her Hawī home.
“We’ve had heavy rain and we’re keeping an eye on it,” she said. “It’s not over yet.”
Pictures of pea-size hail found in Kona and Ocean View were also circulating on social media. The U.S. Geological Survey posted a photo of snow on Mauna Loa at fissure 3.
Hail found in Kona. (Photo credit: Facebook)- Snow on Mauna Loa. (Photo credit: USGS)
As of 3 p.m., several areas in West Hawaiʻi and North and South Kohala are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Flash Flood Warning.
As of this morning, the Kona area received 1 to 3 inches of rain. The grounds were saturated with water.
Cold fronts are common for this time of year, but winter storms don’t usually have a lot of wind. The National Weather Service said this front hasn’t been “super defined.”
Hawaiʻi Fire Assistant Chief Eric Moller said there was no rain in Hilo this morning but expected the storm to come east by this afternoon.
Throughout various areas in West Hawaiʻi, Moller said firefighters responded to arcing power lines and downed trees.
Brook Masiba posted on Facebook a short video of a large tree down on Highway 190 by Matsuyama’s mauka.
Monday morning, Moller said there were limbs or trees down on power lines in Hawī, Pāhoa and Honokaʻa. There was a power outage at 10:40 a.m., impacting 150 Hawaiian Electric customs from Kohala Mountain Road and Kynnersley Road to Kaʻauhuhu and Hawī roads. Power was restored.
At 3:20 p.m., 911 customers were without power in Ahualoa and Upper Honokaʻa area.
According to the National Weather Service, the rain and wind is expected to continue into Tuesday.
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