FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Sandbags were piled in front of the office door of Interisland Solar Supply on Ahua Street in the Mapunapuna industrial area yesterday to help guard against possible flooding.
Islands gear up
for flood threatForecasts of heavy rain prompt
residents and businesses to
stock up on sandbags
Sandbags sold out and city crews worked overtime to clear Moanalua Stream as a storm system that could cause heavy flooding approached the state yesterday.
The first rain from the system began to fall on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island early yesterday afternoon.
Rain was expected on Oahu by midnight, with a chance of thundershowers and heavy rain overnight and today. National Weather Service lead forecaster Hans Rosendal predicted that the Honolulu side of the Koolau Mountain range would get the island's heaviest rain today.
The storm could persist over much of the islands into the week, possibly causing flooding in some areas, he said.
The weather service issued a flash flood watch for the state at 4 p.m. yesterday through today, advising residents to take necessary precautions.
"We're watching closely for the intense showers," Rosendal said. "If they slow down and sit in any particular point for long durations, then we of course worry about flash flooding."
Several feet of snow was also expected on the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island, where a winter storm watch was in effect.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kilgo's employee Luis Mamaclay yesterday prepared sandbags for customers at the store on Sand Island Road. Forecasts of heavy rains are making the sandbags a hot seller.
A winter storm watch was also issued for the Haleakala summit.
City maintenance crews were working yesterday to clear Moanalua Stream, which backed up after the heavy rains earlier this month.
Several Mapunapuna businesses experienced flooding that caused millions of dollars in damage.
Safety Systems Hawaii Inc. ran out of sandbags yesterday after selling about 500 since Friday.
Gemma, an accounting supervisor who didn't want to give her last name, said the last time sandbags sold so quickly was just before Hurricane Iniki.
Kilgo's in Sand Island sold more than 4,000 burlap bags to fill with sand and about 500 filled sandbags over the course of the past two days, said sales associate Luis Mamaclay.
"A lot of folks are taking precautions," said Kari Kaauwai, operations manager at the store. She said customers were also buying batteries and plastic sheeting.
Tessie Pascua bought a dozen sandbags yesterday to help protect her Salt Lake home.
"It's a small expense, considering what you're going to save," she said.
During a two-day spate of heavy rain earlier this month, Pascua had minor flooding in her home. At one point, an inch of water was standing in her living room.
Adachi Nahinu of City Mill said the chain has been out of sand since the last heavy rainstorm this month.
But tarpaulins were a hot seller at the business' locations islandwide, he said.
At the City Mill on Nimitz Highway yesterday afternoon, almost half of the store's stock of plastic sheeting had been sold.
"Some of our racks are empty," Nahinu said.
Officials with Verizon Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Co. said they are monitoring the storm and will call people to work if needed.
More than 11,000 phone lines were knocked out after a storm earlier this month. Some customers, including some retailers at Pearlridge Center, were left without service for more than a week.
