DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The 29th Annual Day at Queen Emma Summer Palace, featuring Hawaiian entertainment, local food, arts and crafts, turned out to be a success in spite of the weather. Nakolo Ahuna, left, and his friend, Manoa Buckman, still had a good time under their umbrellas. "People braved the rain and the weather forecast," said event organizer Siana Hunt.
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Rainfall unable to drown out events
Heavy showers prompt warnings, but don't stop special festivities
Gray skies from former Tropical Depression Kenneth hinted at rain, but stayed away for most of yesterday at the American Indian Pow Wow Association's annual gathering in Thomas Square.
HEAVIEST RAINFALL SPOTS IN HAWAII
Here are the state's top five 12-hour rainfall totals for the period ending at 8:45 p.m. yesterday:
» Kaupo Gap, Maui -- 4 inches
» Palisades, Oahu -- 1.82 inches
» West Wailuaiki, Maui -- 1.64 inches
» Waihee Pump, Oahu -- 1.58 inches
» Wahiawa, Oahu -- 1.52 inches
Source: National Weather Service
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"I do sunshine dances," said Don Soldier Eagle of the Crow Nation, who worried a downpour might ruin his regalia including a bustle of golden eagle feathers, leather leggings and gauntlets and a porcupine and deer tail hair roach adorning his head.
But while some areas were mostly dry, others received sudden heavy bursts of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to keep a flash flood watch for Oahu, Kauai and Niihau until this afternoon.
The watch was upgraded to a warning for Oahu at about 7:30 last night, when radar showed heavy, slow-moving rain showers over Wahiawa. Heavy rains were also situated over Whitmore Village and Haleiwa.
About 7:10 p.m., the weather service received reports of thunder and lightning from an area northeast of Wahiawa, the water draining into Lake Wilson.
"The water level's been rising and we'll be dealing with runoff from that if we continue to have rainfall overnight," said Victor Proton, National Weather Service lead forecaster.
Windward Oahu from Waikane to Kahuku also received heavy rain.
The health department warned beachgoers on Friday to stay away from coastal areas receiving heavy runoff because of contamination from "brown water," which could contain chemicals or bacteria.
The threat of rain also prompted the city to postpone its Sunset on the Plains event in Kapolei until next weekend.
But in Nuuanu, the 29th Annual Day at Queen Emma Summer Palace turned out to be a success despite the weather.
"People braved the rain and the weather forecast," said event organizer Siana Hunt.
Organizers scrambled for parking after flooding occurred at Nuuanu Park, where they had hoped to park cars for the event.
Several area churches agreed to allow those attending the fund-raiser to use their parking lots.
Pow Wow organizer Daniel Yanagihara said there were too many mainland craft vendors and dancers to cancel the event.
But the threat of bad weather may have kept some away.
"Today was real small compared to last year," he said. "I think the weather had something to do with it."
Vendor Louva Dahozy covered her turquoise and silver Navajo jewelry with plastic sheets.
"We are the Indians, and we live with nature and what's going to come," she said. "We know how to take care of ourselves."
"Where we live it snows, it gets cold, it storms," said Dahozy.
The tropical weather is a welcome change, she said. "We love the rain ... It's just beautiful here."