DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM The rainy conditions yesterday made for wet roads and puddles at Ala Moana Beach Park.

High winds lead to
death of man on Kauai

A coconut tree snapped in winds of up to
40 mph; similar winds are forecast for Oahu

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By Anthony Sommer and Rod Antone
tsommer@starbulletin.com | rantone@starbulletin.com

LIHUE >> A Kauai County golf course worker was killed yesterday when the high winds that had lashed the island since Thursday night snapped off the top of the coconut tree he was standing under.

Kauai County officials identified the worker as Vicente Tablizo, 61, of Lihue. Tablizo apparently died of massive head injuries after being struck about 8 a.m.

The National Weather Service recorded gusts of up to 35 knots, or about 40 mph, at nearby Lihue Airport at the time of the accident. Forecasters said similar gale-force winds of up to 40 mph would hit Oahu today.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Slick roads were a likely factor in an accident near the Waimalu offramp in which a motorist lost control and drove his car over a guardrail.

"It's going to be that kind of windy," said lead forecaster Roy Matsuda. "The winds are going to be pretty strong on Oahu, and they'll eventually hit Maui and the Big Island. ... The shearline is coming through and it's taking its sweet time going through the islands."

Tablizo was a tractor-mower operator at Wailua Golf Course and was picking up debris by hand when he was killed.

Both Mayor Maryanne Kusaka and Mayor-elect Bryan Baptiste went to Tablizo's home to notify his widow of his death.

Kusaka ordered the golf course closed yesterday and today as a sign of respect to Tablizo. It will reopen tomorrow.

Strong winds and heavy rain battered Kauai all Thursday night and the rain continued all day yesterday. Some 24-hour rainfall totals as of 8:00 last night included 3.04 inches in the mountain community of Kokee, 2.40 inches in Wainiha on Kauai's north shore, 1.78 inches in Wailua and .94 inches in Lihue, both on Kauai's east shore.

There was minor street flooding, but no roads were closed by high water or landslides.

On Oahu, meanwhile, the wettest spot was Pacific Palisades, where 2.09 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period ending 8:00 last night.

The rain caused motorists to drive slower, making for a worse-than-usual Friday rush-hour traffic on the H-1 freeway.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM In the wet afternoon in Wahiawa yesterday, Tori Ann Pickard waited at the bus stop on California Avenue and Mango Street.

Pearl City police said the slick roads may have caused one driver to lose control, drive his car over a guardrail and knock over a lamppost on the eastbound H-1 freeway, about half a mile past the Waimalu offramp. The pole landed on the car, but police said the driver was not injured.

Another car accident in Waimanalo temporarily knocked out Internet and cable service for an unknown number of Oceanic cable customers in the area. Oceanic officials said the accident damaged a fiber-optic pole for several hours, but service was restored later in the afternoon.

Matsuda said the rainy conditions would continue today and tonight for Oahu and start clearing up by Sunday as the system continued down the island chain. Big Island and Maui Civil Defense officials said there had been no weather-related problems on their islands yesterday.

A small-craft advisory was in effect for all Hawaiian islands. Matsuda also said that a gale-wind warning for all channels between the islands was in effect.