Hawaii floods: Emergency declared as floods wreak havoc, including bridge collapses

Gov. David Ige signed the proclamation on Tuesday to release state funds to help those affected by the heavy rains and floods that have reached all the islands, according to a posting to Twitter.

At least half a dozen homes on the island of Maui are reported to have been badly damaged or destroyed. And two bridges in Wong’s Village, Oahu, collapsed when a cement truck drove over them, according to CNN subsidiary KGMB. Residents say floodwater from the stream below nearly reached the road on the bridge when it gave way.

Maui resident Mark Alexander said he was at his home in Haiku with water up to his chest in a matter of minutes. The family’s dog, Legend, was swept away by the water but found a way to climb to the roof of the house for safety, KGMB reported.

The floodwaters were so enraged that his daughter’s bedroom was knocked off the foundation, Alexander told the outlet, as he began shoveling feet of mud from their home with relatives and friends.

Officials are ordering evacuations in the face of dangerous flooding

The entire state will be under a flash guard until 6:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

The Mayor of Maui says homes and bridges have been severely damaged as a result of the ongoing flooding in the community. “This was unprecedented flooding and we will assess the damage today,” Mayor Michael Victorino said in a written statement on Tuesday.

On Monday, Victorino said residents told him it was the worst flood they’ve seen in more than 25 years.

For a time, officials were concerned about the water coming over the Kaupakalua Dam in Haiku and ordered residents downstream to evacuate.

On Tuesday, a flash flood emergency was also issued for Haleiwa, on the north coast of Oahu in Honolulu province, at 6:15 p.m. HST, according to the National Weather Service, and the community was ordered to evacuate.

“Catastrophic flooding from Opaeula Stream. Now evacuate from the city of Haleiwa,” the Honolulu County government said in an emergency report Tuesday afternoon. ‘You are in danger. Leave now. ‘

Oahu Emergency Management has released a flash flood advisory that could lead to life-threatening catastrophic flooding in Oahu until 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, and residents were warned to move to higher elevations, according to an emergency alert from the city and county of Honolulu. County officials identified short-term evacuation sites for residents affected by the North Shore flooding.

“My warning to anyone watching is to please heed that warning and evacuate. We don’t do orders like that erratically, we do them with a purpose, they are very serious,” said Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu. Rick Blangiardi video address on Tuesday.

Assessment of the damage

In the meantime, the assessments of the damage in Maui have also started on Tuesday.

“Seeing flood damage in daylight is a reminder of the tremendous power of fast-flowing water,” said Victorino, who visited flooded areas. “We are fortunate that no deaths or injuries have been reported. I would like to publicly thank our first responders who have done heroic work in very dangerous circumstances.”

The mayor said the flood had wiped out the Peahi Bridge and that power had once been out of power for more than 1,300 customers.

On Monday, Ana Paula DeCarlo told CNN that her family was stuck at home for washing away the road. She recorded a video showing that water flowed over the road where a small stream used to flow underneath.

“Yes, it’s like a bridge, a little one over a brook,” she said across the road. ‘It hasn’t stopped raining for a second. We are about 15 minutes from the dam. ‘

“This is our street now. We have nowhere to go. The street is gone, it’s gone!”