CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Firemen helped secure a roof on a Manoa Valley home that began to falter in the high winds yesterday.
Destructive wind
due to die downHeavy gusts topple power
lines and trees and displace
seven Big Island families
Weather forecasters predicted that the 30 to 40 mph winds that caused havoc throughout the state yesterday would die down today and over the weekend.
By last night, National Weather Service officials canceled their high-wind advisory issued yesterday afternoon. But that was after winds blew down power lines, a utility pole and, on the Big Island, a 30-foot kiawe tree that knocked a housing unit off its foundations.
"It was early morning. I heard this creaking sound," said Jerry Frisk, program manager of the Kawaihae Transitional Housing Program on the Kohala Coast. "And then there was this crash.
"The tree tipped over and landed on one of our housing units and a picnic table that families usually use. ... Thank goodness no one was sitting there, because it smashed the table to pieces."
Frisk said there were no injuries and that the seven families staying at the housing program were evacuated and relocated to a Red Cross emergency shelter in Waimea or stayed with friends.
On Maui, high winds knocked down trees and power poles in South Maui, cutting off out power for thousands of people for several hours from Kilohana Drive bordering Wailea to Keonekai Road in central Kihei. Maui Electric dispatch supervisor Howard Sylva said the winds gusted up to 68 mph, knocking down at least six poles.
On Oahu, Hawaiian Electric Co. officials received their first trouble call at 5:35 a.m., and after that the calls kept on coming in from all over the island. Power outages were reported in Manoa, Kaimuki, Hawaii Kai, Makaha, Nanakuli, Waialae Iki, Aina Haina and Olomana.
One downed power line behind the Kahe power plant on the Leeward Coast also started a brush fire.
An estimated 13,800 HECO customers experienced weather-related power failures yesterday.
"Our trouble crews were spread thin and were like heroes," said HECO spokesman Jose Dizon. "They worked their butts off."
Honolulu fire crews were also busy yesterday, responding to numerous calls of blown rooftops, particularly in Nuuanu and Manoa.
One senior citizen called to ask for help getting from the bottom of her driveway to her front door because she said she was pinned against a neighbor's wall by the wind.
"When we got there she was hanging on to a hedge next to her neighbor's wall which boarders her property," said Manoa fire Capt. Simeon Alo. "She said she almost got blown down her driveway."
National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Powell said a cold front brought the strong northern winds. However, he said the worst is over and predicted that gusts would drop to up to 25 mph today.
"The winds will slowly decrease, though it should be cooler than usual over the next couple of days," he said.
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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaiian Electric and Verizon workers repaired a downed pole on Kalanianaole Highway near Makapuu yesterday.
Accidents and bad weather
create traffic nightmarePolice report more than a dozen
accidents between 6 and 9 a.m.
Rain, wind and traffic accidents combined to create a frustratingly slow commute for thousands of motorists on Oahu yesterday morning.
CORRECTION
Friday, Nov. 21, 2003>> KSSK traffic reporter Jason Yotsuda was one of several people monitoring morning rush hour Wednesday at the city's Traffic Management Center. A story on Page A1 in Wednesday's Night Final incorrectly stated that he was alone.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.Honolulu police dispatch counted 15 accidents between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
And although traffic was a mess on most routes heading into Honolulu it was particularly bad for drivers heading into town from Kailua and Waimanalo.
Those commuters were caught between a closed Kalanianaole Highway and two accidents on the Pali Highway.
A four-car accident at the hairpin turn on the Pali Highway shortly after 6 a.m. brought townbound traffic to a near standstill.
A second accident later in the town-bound lanes on the Pali added to the mess, according to Kailua police.
Earlier, police closed Kalanianaole Highway at Makapuu because of a downed utility pole that had fallen for unknown reasons, possibly due to the weather or because of deterioration, police said.
A car hit the pole about 5:42 a.m., pushing it onto the highway, police said. The driver suffered minor injuries, police said. Hawaiian Electric Co. crews were working to repair the pole.
Windward commuters were slowed by another accident on the Likelike Highway near the Wilson Tunnel.
The usual 40-minute downtown commute turned into a 2 1/2-hour crawl for some.
As of 8:15 a.m. traffic coming in from Kailua was backed up all way to the Kailua Road-Oneawa Street intersection in the center of Kailua town.
Traffic was slow all over the island as heavy rains started to pour ever before the morning commute.
Jason Yotsuda, traffic reporter for KSSK radio was alone for most of the morning commute in the city's Traffic Management Center because others were caught in traffic.
"Mainly it's the rain and wet roads," said Yotsuda who began his morning traffic vigil about 5 a.m.
It took at least one commuter more than 90 minutes to get to downtown Hawaii Kai using the HOV lane.
"H-1 into Pearl City was backed up to Kapolei," said Yotsuda, speaking at about 9:15.
"Traffic gets very slow during the rain," he said.
Islanders had a taste of winter yesterday as a cold front moved through the state from the north-northeast with widespread rainfall.
All islands were drenched yesterday morning except the Big Island and the weather system was headed there this afternoon, said National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Farrell.
"The other islands should see conditions improving this afternoon but it will be more windy," he said. "It's typical winter weather."
Winds were 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, he said. The weather service issued a wind advisory at 7:45 yesterday morning for Kauai and Maui counties as well as Oahu. The advisory was to be in effect until 4 p.m.
Although the rains plagued traffic, they weren't very heavy, Farrell said, estimating amounts of about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in the mountains and 1/4 to 1/2 inch in town.
He said forecasters are watching a Kona low pressure area developing east of the islands which could possibly move over the state with heavier rain Monday or Tuesday.
Meanwhile, conditions will be a little better today with more sun but still windy with showers over mauka sections, he said.
It will be a little cooler in the next few days with the lowest temperatures in the 70s and the highs in the lower 80s, he said.
A traffic accident early yesterday on the Big Island knocked out power to about 1,200 customers in Kailua-Kona, according to Hawaii Electric Light Co. The outage started at 1:09 a.m. when a car struck a utility pole along Palani Road in Kailua, according to a Helco news release.
Power was restored to all but two customers by 5:05 a.m., Helco said.
About 1,700 Helco customers in North Kohala experienced "four momentary power interruptions" between 10:22 and 11:53 p.m. last night because of a brush fire along Kohala Mountain Road, according to Helco. The company said the interruptions occurred when ash from the fire contaminated insulators on a 34,000 volt transmission line.
Star-Bulletin reporter Sally Apgar contributed to this report.
