The worst of the rain
is over, forecaster says

Heavy rains on Oahu and the Big Island yesterday closed roads and schools, slowed traffic and had forecasters worried about flooding but couldn't dampen spirits at the Punahou Carnival.

"It's extremely crowded," said one parent volunteer last night, adding that hundreds of loyal fair-goers had come out even though normally grassy fields were now muddy expanses.

Forecasters say the rain that showed up Tuesday will likely stick around through the weekend, with a few downpours expected for Oahu today and tomorrow.

"I think overall the worst is done," said National Weather Service forecaster Maureen Ballard. "It should be gradually getting better."

Three schools on the Big Island -- Kau High School, Pahala Elementary and Naalehu School -- were closed yesterday because roads in the areas were impassable.

At about 2:30 a.m., officials closed a 14-mile stretch of Highway 11 at the 58-mile marker because water over the road had reached more than a foot deep. The highway was reopened eight hours later.

The Hamakua Belt Highway was also closed at about 6:55 a.m. when a tree fell across the roadway near Kolekole Bridge, said Hawaii County Civil Defense acting Administrator Lanny Nakano. The road was reopened at about 10:30 a.m.

On Oahu about three dozen boulders -- about the size of wheelbarrows -- were dislodged by rains yesterday morning and fell onto Farrington Highway between Makua Cave and Yokohama Bay, closing the road for several hours.

Ballard said officials are still concerned about weekend rains causing "nuisance flooding" in parts of Oahu and the Big Island. Because the ground is so wet, she said, "it may not be a heavy shower that would trigger the need for a flood advisory."

The Big Island saw the heaviest rains early yesterday, with Mountain View getting more than 12 inches in the 24 hours ending at 5:45 p.m. In the same time period, Pali saw more than 10 inches, and Kapalapala Ranch got more than 6 inches of rain.

A flood watch continued to be in effect yesterday and was expected to be kept up through the weekend, Ballard said. "Every time we think we're taking it down, we end up putting it back up."