By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Warning signs were posted at Palolo Stream today after
an estimated 2,700 gallons of rain-diluted sewage
overflowed into the stream last night.

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City soaked
by heavy rain;
more on way
this week

The Diamond Head area,
normally arid, catches 3.5 inches

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

Honolulu got drenched and flooded at several spots overnight -- and more rain is expected later this week.

Lead forecaster Hans Rosendal at the National Weather Service today said more than 31/2 inches of rain was recorded as of midnight in the Diamond Head area.

Palolo Valley got almost 3 inches, with more than 2 inches each recorded in Niu and Manoa valleys. Downtown Honolulu got over an inch.

Heavy rains coupled with plant roots clogging two manholes in Kaimuki caused about 2,700 gallons of rain-diluted sewage to overflow into Palolo Stream last night.

The spills were from manholes located at 2386 and 2404 10th Ave.

In upper Aina Haina, a rain-loosened rock fell on a house at 801 Kainoa Place yesterday. Although no one was hurt, firefighters said tar paper was needed to plug the leaking roof.

Kalakaua and Coconut avenues between Waikiki and Diamond Head experienced flooding, as did the 4000 block of Keanu Street above Waialae Avenue.

Rosendal said the front that brought the rain has moved on, but added that a new front should be reaching the islands by tomorrow night, bringing more rain into Friday.

"Most of (yesterday's rain) fell in the afternoon and evening hours," Bob Farrell, National Weather Service lead forecaster, said last night.

"In a way it was a surprise," he said. The heavy rain resulted from a convergence of two air flows south of Oahu that caused the showers that moved up over the island, Farrell added.

Windward and Leeward Oahu got relatively light rainfall, he said. The airport registered 0.55 of an inch from 2 to 8 p.m.

"Most of the rain fell in Honolulu -- Waikiki, Diamond Head and eastward," Farrell said. "Those areas are not used to rainfall rates of that magnitude."

Fire Capt. Clyde Kobatake of the Wailupe Station estimated the rock that fell on the house shortly before 7:50 p.m. was about 21/2 feet to 3 feet in diameter.

"It was too heavy to move," he said. "It's still sitting on the roof," he added, estimating damage at $2,200. "It did enough damage to cause water to leak through but I didn't see any opening."

The driving rain caused anxious moments at 4050-B Keanu St. shortly after 8 p.m. But Kaimuki firefighters positioned buckets to catch the runoff, they said.

Kalakaua and Coconut avenue flooding was controlled by firefighters using pumps.