Hawaii Flooding in Maui and Oahu

In the middle of March, Hawaii was hit by a heavy Kona low rainstorm. It hit Oahu and Maui the hardest, causing severe rainfall and saturation of soil. It also caused extreme flooding. Hawaiian citizens found themselves having to evacuate from the largest flooding in over 20 years.

A Kona low rainstorm is a subtropical seasonal cyclone that happens most commonly from late Autumn to early Spring. It usually causes heavy rain, sometimes accompanied by minor flooding. However, this Kona low was exceptionally severe, creating much more severe floods that forced evacuations. In fact, there was about 10 inches of rain in just 2 days.

According to residents, “The water came fast — and without warning — leaving behind widespread damage.” The floods devastated towns, and rebuilding is still going on. It is expected to take several months to repair and could cost up to 1 billion dollars. The governor of Hawaii says, “This is going to have a serious consequence for us as a state. We are now going to begin to contemplate the reality that this storm could cost over a billion dollars of damage in both the private and public sector.”