LISTEN TO THE RAIN
A SPECIAL REPORT
Extra work for some will not dry up quickly
Timing is everything.
Just before the heaviest of the rain started, Glenn Hirata took off a portion of his roof in preparation for remodeling his Kailua home.
"Right after I got the roof off, it started to rain and the water begin coming in like a sieve," said Hirata, who had to scurry to put a tarp over the gaps in the roof and reconfigure his flashings.
It took days of aggravation before Hirata was able to completely protect his home, but he considers himself lucky because this time, his home did not actually flood -- unlike two prior rainy seasons.
All over Hawaii, stories like Hirata's are costing some consumers and members of the construction industry money -- but boosting revenues for others. Roofers, leak specialists and mold and mildew removers report that they are the busiest they have ever been, with month-long backlogs.
However, the inclement weather has brought a deluge of negative effects for landscapers, builders, handymen and most construction industry trade workers.
"It's like a domino effect," said Karen Nakamura, executive director of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii. "They can't pour the foundation so they can't put up the framing so they can't do the plumbing, the electrical or the drywall."
Still, not all developers suffered.
Kukui'ula, a 1,500-home project in Kauai, fared well with only negligible effects from the rain, said Dick Holtzman, president of Kukui'ula Development Co.
"The rain didn't get us behind at all," Holtzman said, counting his blessings that the project is still in the planning and infrastructure stages.
Kukui'ula executives' primary concern was for the safety of its employees, many of whom were dealing with flooded homes and fighting rain-drenched and closed roads to get to work.
"We sent some of them home," Holtzman said. "Frankly, if their minds were on their homes and the safety of their families, we thought that was where they should be."
On the flip side, the demand for companies like Tecseal, which specializes in fixing above- and below-grade leaks, are going through the roof, said Rick Todd, Tecseal president.
"We've had a huge upswing in business," Todd said. "We've just about doubled and we've got a month-long backlog."
Jeff Woodring, owner of Algae-Mildew Busters LLC, said the last 50 to 60 days have been the busiest that his 6-year-old business has ever seen.
"I'm working late every night, and I've had to hire someone to help," Woodring said. "The rains have increased mildew problems to the point that I'll be fairly busy until it starts to dry out in the summer."
WEATHER ADVISORY
88 The number of special marine warnings issued by the National Weather Service during the 43-day period starting Feb. 19. The advisory warns of waterspouts and/or thunderstorms within 40 miles of land that can produce wind 40 mph or greater.
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