Rain from incoming Kona low expected this afternoon, flood watch issued through weekend

With a flood watch in place statewide, a new Kona low system is expected to bring rain to Hawai‘i Island starting today.

Derek Wroe, meteorologist for Hawai‘i National Weather Service in Honolulu, said the latest weather system is moving west to east with Big Island residents expected to see heavier showers this evening in the Kona, Ka‘ū and Puna Districts.

Wroe said there will be a lull in rain on Friday, but it will pick up again on Saturday and into Sunday.

“We could see an extension of it into Monday,” Wroe said of the storm, adding the Big Island will be the last to clear the weather system.

After the March 14 Kona low that flooded roads, damaged homes, farms and Konawaena High School, Wroe said flooding in these areas is still at risk since they haven’t had a chance to dry out between weather events.

 Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said the county workers are “doubling down” to remove as much debris as possible to clear culverts and roadways this week.

Hawai‘i County will distribute ice and water to residents in Puna who were impacted by the recent storm at the Billy Kenoi Sports Complex, and food at the Volunteer Fire Station in Hawaiian Acres, today from 1 to 3 p.m.

The county continues to encourage residents to report property damage suffered in last weekend’s storm here.

Hawaiian Electric has been working all week to restore power to thousands of customers who were left in the dark after last weekend’s Kona low storm across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui County and Oʻahu.

As of 8 a.m., power was restored to about 900 customers overnight in the Black Sands, Eden Rock, Fern Acres, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Kalapana, Royal Hawaiian, Sea View, and Volcano subdivisions and some parts of Leilani and Nānāwale.

Crews also completed critical repairs to transmission lines, which will help harden the grid ahead of the upcoming storm system. About 1,100 customers who were impacted by the storm remain without power.

For those experiencing power and internet disruption, the following locations have service:  Yano Hall in South Kona, Mountain View Gymnasium, Shipman Park, and Billy Kenoi Sports Complex in Puna

Today, crews are working in Leilani, Nānāwale, and scattered areas around the island.

Weather permitting, helicopters will be used to transport large equipment to remote areas today, according to the power company. Specialized equipment and heavy machinery such as bulldozers are needed to clear accessways and other debris. In some locations, cranes are required to remove large, uprooted or fallen trees.