“Catastrophic floods” expected after heavy rain

Honolulu. A violent storm with heavy rain flooded streets in Hawaii and led to power outages. The US National Meteorological Service warned on Monday (local time) of impending “catastrophic floods” in the coming days. The low pressure area belonging to the storm moved slowly from east to west and got stuck on the edge of the island chain.

Governor David Ige called on people to make sure they have enough supplies and prepare for rising water levels. On Monday evening he declared a state of emergency for all islands of the US state in the Pacific. Four emergency shelters were opened on the main island of Oahu. Waikiki beaches were largely deserted. The Honolulu Fire Department rescued five boys from a torrent, a statement said.

Power outages and floods have been reported on the island of Maui. All islands, especially Oahu and Kauai, were threatened with sudden floods, lightning strikes, landslides and violent winds on Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. A snow storm warning was issued for the summit of the highest mountain, the 4,270 meter high Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii.

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