A strong Kona storm has slammed the Hawaiian islands, knocking power out to around 100,000 people. This is down from the 132,000 that was reported yesterday by poweroutage.us.
It was expected some would remain without power overnight due to the storm, and that was the reality for many. A strong Kona storm is brewing in Hawaii with heavy rain, strong winds, and even blizzard conditions on the volcanic peaks, all expected through the weekend.
(MORE:Kona Storm Forecast)
East Honolulu gets its power from Windward Oahu through transmission lines that run along the Ko'olau mountains near Waimanalo, then cross over the ridgeline. Two of those lines already went down earlier from the storm. That left one line holding up the whole area. Then, around 5:50 p.m., the weather took out that last line. Thankfully, crews figured out the issue and restored power to over 29,000 customers in parts of East Honolulu and Waikiki by late in the evening.
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Hawaii Gov. Josh Green issued anemergency proclamationahead of the storm on Monday, and flash flood warnings remain in effect.
"Our priority is keeping the people of Hawaii safe," Green said in a news release. "By issuing this emergency proclamation now, we are ensuring that state and county agencies have the resources and flexibility needed to respond quickly to flooding, severe weather and any impacts this storm may bring."
Around 30 inches of rain has fallen around the highest summits of Maui.
Heavy rainfall continues to cause flooding and road closures across multiple islands. Even as rainfall has eased on some islands, residents are still urged to be cautious due to flooding and road closures.