GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The yacht America II was still aground off Lahaina yesterday morning after strong winds and heavy rain swept over Maui.
Big Isle residents
blame tornado for
damaging 7 homes
in minutes
The National Weather Service is trying to confirm if a tornado destroyed three homes and damaged four others near Papa in South Kona just before midnight Friday.
Residents say a tornado ripped through the area at about 11:45 p.m. Friday, according to the American Red Cross of Hawaii, which is assisting at least 11 families whose homes were damaged on the Big Island by rain and wind.
Ed Teixeira, vice director of state Civil Defense, said Red Cross volunteers who surveyed the site described "tornado-like" damage.
However, weather service forecaster Robert Ballard noted that "severe thunderstorms can do as much damage as a tornado."
Two homes near the intersection of Old Mamalahoa Road and Hua Nui Street sustained major damage and two had minor damage, according to Red Cross Chief Operating Officer Cassandra Ely.
In Puna, a family of eight got help with shelter and food after a large tree fell on their home.
In Kahului, Maui, a 6-foot-deep river of muddy water flooded two homes on Aleo Place late Friday night. John Sardinha, who lives on the street, said the water rushed down from higher communities because of poor drainage.
"Water went into the houses," he said. "All that water just gushes down. ... Everything ends up in here."
Almost 10 inches of rain fell on Hana Airport in the 24 hours ending at about 6 last night. On the Big Island, 8 inches of rain fell in Honaunau and more than 7 inches fell on Waiaha over the same period.
Gusts at the Mauna Kea summit topped 80 mph yesterday afternoon, and winds as high as 50 mph were recorded at Kona Airport.
But last night the weather service canceled a high wind warning for the lower elevations of the Big Island. A high wind warning was also canceled for the summit of Haleakala on Maui, where a winter storm warning remained in effect.
Strong winds downed two utility poles and a number of power lines on the Big Island yesterday, leaving 2,000 residents without power for hours.
"We're being impacted through all parts of the island," said Hawaii Electric Light Co. spokesman Jay Ignacio. "We're working round the clock."
The winds also brought down large branches from eucalyptus trees lining Highway 19 between Waimea and Honokaa, forcing emergency officials to close a two-mile stretch of the road for about two hours last night. Crews were expected to monitor the highway overnight and planned to close it again if high winds returned.
"We're just concerned that the wind will keep up," said Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Troy Kindred. "We don't want one of those (branches) hitting somebody in a car."
On Maui, 10 utility poles were downed by winds. Shane Murayama, a dispatch supervisor at Maui Electric, said about 100 residents were left without power for much of the day as crews worked on the lines.
